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Seeing the Heart

May 26, 2021·Carmen Quevedo

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
— 1 Samuel 16:7

Samuel was commissioned by the Lord to anoint the next king of Israel. The first king, Saul, was the obvious choice. He was tall, handsome, and looked the part. But he messed up badly and sincerely disqualified himself as a leader. Keep reading this week. His story goes from bad to worse — a true tragedy.

So, God sends Samuel to a specific house to anoint the next king. One by one, seven king-like sons are presented as possible kings. With great clarity, God keeps confirming, “not this one,” look at their heart. Then, the kid — I imagine a little dirty, clothes tussled, running rather than approaching with decorum — he’s the one! He has the heart of a king!

Now, I’ve read this verse many times over the years. And it never ceases to amaze me how the Bible, full of God’s truth to be applied to our lives, is just as relevant today as it was when it was written. No, you and I are probably not going to be anointing any kings today. But we make choices on how we look at people every day. And our society has been crying out for justice in this very thing, at every turn.

Today, as I read, “the Lord does not look at the things people look at… the Lord looks at the heart,” I was reminded that so much of the cultural battle we see every day is people trying to say, “Hey, guys, we gotta do better. We need to look at each other and see people’s hearts.”

No, we aren’t likely to hear on the news that it’s time to stop making choices by outward appearances, but rather by what we see with spiritual eyes. But that’s the biblical response.

Yes, there’s a lot of pain associated with these conversations in our world. And much needs to be done to heal the pain. No question. Fortunately for us, the answers to our deepest needs are found right here in God’s Word. And we can apply it to our lives every day.

Today, as we see people, let’s ask the Lord to give us eyes to see their hearts.

Pastor Carmen Quevedo

The Church on the Way