Skin-Deep or Heart-Deep? | AS BOLD AS LIONS DEVOTIONAL | August 14, 2023

Skin-Deep or Heart-Deep? | AS BOLD AS LIONS DEVOTIONAL | August 14, 2023

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. 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

Our culture rewards things based on outward appearances. Looks and beauty are favored as a skin-deep society judges and sizes up everyone through the eyes. This is nothing new. In ancient times kings and leaders were chosen much due to their appearance; if they looked like a king. Israel wanted a king so they could be like other nations who had kings. Saul fit the part; handsome and taller than any other man. In Saul, God gave Israel the king they wanted, but not the king they needed.

Although Saul was a failure as king, God had another man in mind; someone who didn’t “fit the mold” in terms of what we’d expect a king to look like. But in God’s eyes, his heart was already where it needed to be. David was a “man after God’s own heart” and he led Israel as a true follower of the Lord. What God looks for in us is not based upon what man praises or not. It is based upon our hearts and He rewards those whose hearts belong to Him. When we remember this, we become less concerned with our skin condition and more concerned with our heart condition.

Question for today: What is my heart condition like today in the Lord?

Pray: As the culture around emphasizes appearance, how am I staying anchored to what God looks for and desires in me?

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