But the Lord said to Samuel, “Eliab is tall and handsome, but don’t judge by things like that. God doesn’t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart. Eliab is not the right man.” 1 Samuel 16:7
I looked at the dress on the store rack. From all appearances, it was ugly, but it fit my budget, and I needed a dress for the wedding. I grabbed it, took it to the dressing room, and tried it on. It ended up looking better on me than it looked on the hanger, so I bought it. Judging the dress on the hanger had proven wrong. I can’t say how many times I wore that dress, but it more than served its purpose.
Samuel had been wrong, also, by judging Eliab, the tall and handsome son of Jesse, to be the anointed one of God. But God let Samuel know that Eliab was not the one God had in mind. Instead, out in the field tending the sheep was little David, the youngest son of Jesse. He was to be the chosen one of God who would be the next king of Israel, and David was the one who would be the seed for the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Do we judge people wrongly? Just as it is wrong to judge a book by its cover, we are wrong by judging others by their outward appearance. A book, once read, could quite literally prove to be counted as a favorite. A person, once we come to know him or her, could quite literally prove to be a best friend. God looks at the heart of man, but we tend to judge from outward appearances. When we cease judging the book by its cover, or in other words, a human being by their status, religion, and origin, we may very well get to the heart of the matter to love as Christ loved us.
God forgive me for judging by outward appearances. Help me to see the heart of a person. Through Christ I pray, Amen.
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