David, a Man After God’s HeartMuestra

God looks on the heart

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

At God's command, Samuel went to Bethlehem. He visited the family of Jesse to anoint one of his eight sons as king. But Samuel did not yet know which of them had been chosen by God.

Initially, he was impressed by the oldest sons in the family. They seemed perfectly suited to him as kings. But God taught Samuel an important lesson here: it is not a person's appearance that counts, but his heart. It was the youngest son, who hardly counted in the family, who was chosen by God.

This was an important lesson for Samuel, but also for us. We simply cannot see into someone's heart the way God can, so we often focus on appearance. We are impressed by physical strength or a handsome face. We appreciate people who display self-confidence and competence. But these characteristics are not what matters most in the end. A person's heart is much more important. That is where decisions are made, that is where your character emerges, that is where your feelings reside. It forms the core of your identity.

God sees what is on the inside of people. He also looks at your heart. Can He be pleased with what He sees there? What strengths and weaknesses do you see in yourself?