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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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1 Samuel 16:7
“But the Lord God said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”
“(Saul) was a head taller than any of the others” (1 Samuel 10:23), but that wasn’t why God chose him as king.
He was humble to start with - he hid himself among the baggage (see 1 Samuel 10:22). But he lost his humility. First, he thought he could be a priest and then he thought he could be God. So God rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:23).
Poor old Samuel. First, he had to anoint Saul king, knowing that by doing so the people were rejecting God and then he was told to go and tell Saul that God had rejected him as king. As he left, Saul ripped Samuel’s cloak and then Samuel had to tell him that in the same way God would rip his kingdom from him.
Next, Samuel had to anoint Saul’s successor whilst Saul was still king - not an enviable task. Samuel was not only a priest but also a man with a pastor’s heart. Even if the people rejected God, he, Samuel, would still pray for them and be there for them. He loved Saul and evidently saw so much potential in him that even after Saul had blown it, he still mourned for him. So much so that God had to say (‘wake up, Samuel’), “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn and be on your way” (1 Samuel 16:1).
So Samuel obediently went on his way to Jesse of Bethlehem. Remember that Jesse was Ruth’s grandson. When he arrived at Jesse’s place, he found that Jesse had a whole troop of sons - 8 in all. Samuel saw Eliab, the eldest, and obviously saw something of Saul in him and thought that he must be the one who would be the next king. He was also tall, dark and handsome.
But Samuel got it wrong, which brought forth this well-known but still true divine principle - God doesn’t judge in the same way we do nor does He look just at the appearance but upon the heart of the individual. There are no human comparisons with God. He doesn’t compare us to other people - just His Son, Jesus. He looks intently into our heart to see what is there.
What does He see in your heart today? He is not interested in your brothers, sisters, parents, children, and colleagues at work or in your ministry. Where are you today? Who are you today? What does God see in your heart?
Is your heart after material possessions, position or wealth? Or is your heart wholeheartedly following Jesus? You may feel insignificant, too small or young - but God sees you just where you are. He has a divine destiny just for you.
Don’t blow it with ambition or comparison with others.
With His help, fulfil it to the best of your ability.
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