Straight to the Heart
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
If you’ve ever had an X-Ray done, it might have made you feel quite vulnerable to see your interior exposed by a machine. Technology and science have made it possible for man to see right past your skin to your bones and even your organs. My son recently had an EKG done – a full ultrasound of his heart. I watched as the technician took a small wand and gently swiped it across my son's chest, back and forth, producing images on a screen of this spectacular life-giving organ. They were able to capture the image of every cavity and valve, even the beating sound it produced. And I thought, “Wow! God sees so much more!”
When the prophet Samuel was searching for the man who would be king of Israel, God sent him to the house of Jesse, for he had many sons. God had told Samuel that he would find the new king among those young men. Upon meeting them, Samuel observed the sons of Jesse to be tall, strong, brave, and handsome young men, certainly fit to be kings. But as he examined each one carefully, the Lord said, “No, not him”. When Samuel pointed these qualities out to the Lord, God said to him, “I don’t see what man sees on the outside, I look at his heart”. God wasn’t looking for tall, strong boys to rule His people. He sought a strong, brave, yet humble heart; one that would fear and love the Lord. That heart was found in the youngest of Jesse’s sons, the one who had the lowly job of taking care of the sheep – David.
God isn’t interested in our appearance; in what we wear or what we have. God isn’t bothered by where we work or the position we hold. God looks straight through our thick skin with His Spiritual X-Ray and looks right at our heart. What condition will He find it in? Is it a healthy and humble heart? A sickly, proud heart? A lean heart, full of love for the Lord? Or a fatty heart with no room for the Savior? What will the Lord’s X-Ray of our heart reveal?
Suggested prayer:
Dear Lord, my heart is on display for you to see at all times. You know my deepest feelings and aren’t surprised by what you find. Today I ask that you create in me a clean heart, so that when you look upon me, you will see a servant’s heart, humble and loving, seeking to serve you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
1 Samuel 16:7.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.