Outward Appearance

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
--1st Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

Even before the plane took off, the two other passengers seated in the row with me leafed intently through the pages of In Style magazine. They poured over each air-brushed photograph, commenting on the model's figure, wardrobe, and accessories. What shocked me most was that this critical pair also speculated on the character and personal details of the lives of the celebrities they ogled.

Judging people based on their outward appearance is easy to do. Very often we make gross assumptions about a person as the result of prejudging them in such a manner. In doing so, we unfairly criticize, forming hard and fast opinions that may be contrary to a person's true character.

The world sees and judges us according to superficial standards, but God sees the spirit, and evaluates each supernaturally. God looks at a person's heart. He judges fairly and justly, without regard to external appearances. There is nothing about us that is unseen by the one who created us. Nothing about us escapes his attention. God sees each of us as we truly are.

Reflecting Pool:


Do you worry about your outward appearance or judge people based on theirs?
What does God see in your heart today?