Do Not Look at Outward Appearance

Daily Devotional – December 4, 2022
“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature…For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)

When Samuel saw Eliab, Jesse’s first-born son, he concluded, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” (1 Samuel 16:6). In contrast, God told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).

A Handsome King

Before you condemn Samuel for his apparent lack of discernment, consider the physical description of King Saul, the one God wanted to replace. “There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.” (1 Samuel 9:2).

Back at the house of Jesse, Samuel, under God’s guidance, picked the youngest of Jesse’s sons, a mere boy. So insignificant was David that Jesse did not find it prudent to call the boy from the pastures when Samuel asked to see the old man’s sons.

God Looks at the Hearts of Prisoners and Stammerers

Several other examples in the Bible reveal that God’s modus operandi often contradicts man’s approach. Imagine the disbelief in the Egyptian jail when the Hebrew (foreigner) young man became the chief minister in a matter of hours!

When God needed a leader to deliver the children of Jacob from Egypt, he choose Moses. What good did He find in a stammerer and who had spent forty years herding sheep in the wilderness? Only the God who looks at the heart could see value in Moses.

Outward Appearance Obscures Inner Beauty

The Samaritan woman, at the well, in the heat of the day, had loose morals. From outward appearance, she was a social outcast but in Christ’s estimation, she was a child of God in need off salvation, and a missionary to boot.

To the people of Jericho and Judea, Zacchaeus the tax collector was a traitor and a pariah. To Jesus, he was a child of Abraham, in need of mercy, forgiveness and restoration.

To the early church, Saul was a dreaded persecutor, a cruel man that sought to destroy the body of Christ. To Jesus, he was Paul, the effective missionary and apostle to the gentiles.

Do Not Look At Outward Appearance

Before you write off or dismiss any person, take a moment to ponder how God views that individual. Today, they may be Saul but tomorrow they will be Paul. In God’s estimation, the nobodies of today are the greats of tomorrow.

Similarly, do not give up on yourself, if life does not seem to go your way. Today’s circumstances do not translate into your tomorrow. By God’s grace, you can transcend the lowly position of a shepherd to become a ruler in your sphere of influence.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, because You do not look at outward appearance and current circumstances, I remain optimistic about my future.