WEDNESDAY May 8, 2019
God Looks at the Heart
So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. Forthe Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:6-7
Notice, Samuel, at this time in his life had not spent enough time with God to really find out who God would anoint next as king. Samuel saw Jesse’s son Eliab and thought; this is the one no doubt––the next king of Israel to sit on the throne! The prophet Samuel looked at Eliab’s stature; he was tall and good looking. He looked at his outward appearance. Samuel would have made his choice––not God’s choice.
When God sends you on a mission, make sure you are not operating in the flesh, but in the Spirit. How many times do we think we can discern a person better than God? We have to be careful not to judge a person by looking at the outward appearance making a decision in our flesh or from our emotions. The Lord sees differently; He looks at a person’s heart.
God never makes mistakes in His choices. He is perfect, He is holy––He is awesome! God sees the real person. He knows the real you, He knows the real me. Do you know man’s heart? I do not think so! I do not know your heart and you do not know mine. Only God knows what is in the heart of a man:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;
who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind,
even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings”(Jeremiah 17:9-10).
I wonder what God sees in your heart and in mine?
In every Christian heart there is a cross and a throne, and the Christian is on the throne till he puts himself on the cross; if he refuses the Cross, he remains on the throne.
~A.W. Tozer~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!