But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 KJV
Samuel had been assigned by God to anoint the next king of Israel. His eyes caught the oldest son of Jesse; he looked the part of a king, tall and handsome. However, God warned Samuel not to look on the outward appearance. Looks can be deceptive; they do not tell us what is really in the person. That is why God looks on the heart. There He sees the real you and me. Everywhere we turn we find evidence that the outward appearance of a person is very important to us. We listen to, admire, and even help people that look a certain way. Because of this, we often strive for, or at least wish we could look like them. But it is not what is on the outside that counts; ultimately it is what is on the inside that matters most.
Lord, I live in a society that is preoccupied with the outward appearance. I confess that this too distracts me more than it should. Help me give more attention to the inside of a person than the outside. And help me spend more time developing what is in my heart than what is in the mirror.
