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Don't judge a book by it's cover.
We hear it a lot, maybe everyday. It can apply to books, or places, or even people. And today's reading went perfectly hand in hand with this phrase. Have you even heard of the story of David and Goliath? If not, then it's perfectly fine, because we're reading it tomorrow.
It's about a boy named David (obviously,) but the funny thing is, David is scrawny and tiny. Samuel (the leader of the Israelites at the time,) was told that the Israelites wanted a King. After finding one and realizing he wasn't fit for the job, he was sent by God to find a new one.
God told Samuel to go to a man named Jesse, and find one of his sons to be the new King of Israel. Samuel obeyed, and went to Jesse asking him to bring out his sons. Jesse brought them out, one by one, and each one he brought, Samuel was convinced that HE should be the new King.
But each time he selected a son, God told him, "keep going down the line, that's not him yet. There's a better one coming up." Samuel was a little angry, because each time he passed by a son, he was tall, and muscular, and fit to be a King.
Samuel 16:
7But 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 does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’
So, Samuel continued, and once he got through the line, he must have been pretty confused, right? He asked Jesse, "are these all your sons?" And Jesse said that he had one more son, the youngest.
He called to his youngest in the field, and out came little David, ruddy and scrawny, and the youngest out of all Jesse's sons. But God said "Get the preparations made, this is him. He shall be King."
This scripture gives me chills. First off, it insures that God always makes the right decisions. He was always sure of himself, which tells us that God does everything for a specific reason.
And then, God goes and picks the least likely son of Jesse to be a KING of Israel! Maybe David was closest to God, or maybe he followed God throughout his life. And if that is true, then it gives a pretty good message for the day, that God looks at you based on your heart. He doesn't judge based on how cool you are, or how tall you are.
He loves you for YOU, and nothing else. He loves EVERYONE for the content of their heart, which is so comforting to me.
Alright, so you probably get my point. God loves everyone, and he picks the unlikely to be of great importance. What can I do today (and forever) to portray that message? Can you think of someone that's an outcast around you? Is there someone that needs Jesus today? I'm almost positive that someone comes to mind, and if God judges people on their heart, you better go and help that person out!
It doesn't matter if they're weird, or cool, or mean. God judges you on the content of your heart, and you should do the same to people around you. Got it?
Good. Adios, and PEACE.
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