Book Judging 101

What's matters to God more? Check out 1 Samuel 16:6-7 to find the answer. #iDevo #YFA #LivingLeadership

God rejected Saul for his disobedience and tasked Samuel with anointing a new king. The last time Samuel anointed a king, he looked like a king. 1 Samuel 10:23 points out that Saul was: “So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.” Saul may have thought his lineage was not kingly when Samuel told him but from the outside he looked kingly. He stood out because of his height and looks.

Now Samuel has arrived as Jesse’s house and asked to meet his sons. Seven show up for the feast and the oldest, Eliab, looked kingly. I am sure he was the tallest and strongest being the oldest and first born. He was the perfect king from the outside but none of Jesse’s seven sons were chosen. It was David, the boy that was not even invited to meet the profit that was picked. As the youngest, he was probably the smallest and least looked like a king when compared to his older brothers but as God told Samuel outside appearances are not as important to God as what your heart, the inside looks like.

A lot of times we though are like Samuel, we look at the outside for people we meet, places to go or show, even where we might go to worship God. The outside matters more to us than the inside. Yet like Samuel we are challenged not to judge based on outward appearance but look instead to see the inner beauty in someone or something. So the next time you get a impression of something just by outward appearance take time to see past the outside because your initial assessment may be wrong.

There is an old saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” We can apply that to more than just books but life in general.