"Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature...for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
This is a glorious truth for those of us who feel a bit self-conscious about our looks, whether that be our height, build, color, features or age. We come in all different shapes, shades and sizes and, though there can be very interesting similarities, none of us is alike. Each of us is unique and special in the sight of God and, although there is nothing wrong with noting and appreciating beauty when we see it (David, the scripture notes, "was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance," 16:12), any attempt by man to segregate and gain on the basis of appearance is not from God but from the sinful heart. Overt emphasis on the external has done much harm. In exalting and exploiting the sexual, while discarding the sacred, this world has made lust for the body the order of the day. In doing so, they have degraded the worth of a human being to outward appearance alone. This has nothing to do with what really matters. The writer of I Samuel also describes Saul as "a choice and handsome man", emphasizing that "there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people," (9:2). But it was to Saul that Samuel would later say, The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart," (13:14). His looks, as with David's, meant nothing, except something to note. With some, that's all they are. And if that's all they are, they are to be pitied because their measure of worth will diminish with age and decay in death. God raised the worth of every person, in the eyes of the world, then and now, to a much higher level when, in choosing a new king for Israel, He showed us His feelings by saying, "Do no look at his appearance or at the height of his stature...for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." By making the heart the heart of the matter, God not only raised a man's true worth, but He also declared all that matters. When He looks at the heart, what do you think He's looking for? A clean heart? He can do that. A Spirit filled heart? He can do that too. There are many wonderful things He can do for the heart, and we ought to enjoy everyone of them as He gives Himself to us, but, from all indications, in His dealings with Saul, what He's really looking for is to see which way I'm facing. He wants to know which direction my heart is pulling. He looks to see if there is a well trodden path to His heart. Though the Bible, in it's original form, wasn't written in English, if you'll allow me some freedom, the English version gives us an interesting nuance to an important word. When Samuel said, the LORD was seeking out for Himself a man after His own heart, the word "after", in the English language, can mean "like" (that's the real meaning in the original) His own heart. But it can also mean "pursuing", as in "going after" His own heart. Though this is specifically talking about a heart like God's heart, we know one thing about God: He pursues us with all His heart, and, if we do the same toward Him, we would have a heart like His heart in the deepest sense of the word. There is no doubt God looks for both, but for One, as Phillip Yancey put it, "wildly in love with us", I think He especially delights in the latter. More personally, He wants to know that you're looking for Him. He wants to know you're waiting for Him. He wants to know you're "gone on" Him, as one wholly, wonderfully, and wildly in love with Him. This raises love to the highest, purest and Spirit filled level; all of which anyone of us can know. When He looks at your heart, what does He see? Give Him your heart! This catches His eye every time.
This is a glorious truth for those of us who feel a bit self-conscious about our looks, whether that be our height, build, color, features or age. We come in all different shapes, shades and sizes and, though there can be very interesting similarities, none of us is alike. Each of us is unique and special in the sight of God and, although there is nothing wrong with noting and appreciating beauty when we see it (David, the scripture notes, "was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance," 16:12), any attempt by man to segregate and gain on the basis of appearance is not from God but from the sinful heart. Overt emphasis on the external has done much harm. In exalting and exploiting the sexual, while discarding the sacred, this world has made lust for the body the order of the day. In doing so, they have degraded the worth of a human being to outward appearance alone. This has nothing to do with what really matters. The writer of I Samuel also describes Saul as "a choice and handsome man", emphasizing that "there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people," (9:2). But it was to Saul that Samuel would later say, The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart," (13:14). His looks, as with David's, meant nothing, except something to note. With some, that's all they are. And if that's all they are, they are to be pitied because their measure of worth will diminish with age and decay in death. God raised the worth of every person, in the eyes of the world, then and now, to a much higher level when, in choosing a new king for Israel, He showed us His feelings by saying, "Do no look at his appearance or at the height of his stature...for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." By making the heart the heart of the matter, God not only raised a man's true worth, but He also declared all that matters. When He looks at the heart, what do you think He's looking for? A clean heart? He can do that. A Spirit filled heart? He can do that too. There are many wonderful things He can do for the heart, and we ought to enjoy everyone of them as He gives Himself to us, but, from all indications, in His dealings with Saul, what He's really looking for is to see which way I'm facing. He wants to know which direction my heart is pulling. He looks to see if there is a well trodden path to His heart. Though the Bible, in it's original form, wasn't written in English, if you'll allow me some freedom, the English version gives us an interesting nuance to an important word. When Samuel said, the LORD was seeking out for Himself a man after His own heart, the word "after", in the English language, can mean "like" (that's the real meaning in the original) His own heart. But it can also mean "pursuing", as in "going after" His own heart. Though this is specifically talking about a heart like God's heart, we know one thing about God: He pursues us with all His heart, and, if we do the same toward Him, we would have a heart like His heart in the deepest sense of the word. There is no doubt God looks for both, but for One, as Phillip Yancey put it, "wildly in love with us", I think He especially delights in the latter. More personally, He wants to know that you're looking for Him. He wants to know you're waiting for Him. He wants to know you're "gone on" Him, as one wholly, wonderfully, and wildly in love with Him. This raises love to the highest, purest and Spirit filled level; all of which anyone of us can know. When He looks at your heart, what does He see? Give Him your heart! This catches His eye every time.
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