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The Beauty Within
But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider the 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." -
1 Samuel 16:7
Also Read
1 Samuel 16:1-7;Psalms 78:70;Acts 13:22
Not long ago I read about an experiment conducted by a concert master. He wanted to see whether people would appreciate great music if it came from an unlikely source. So he dressed like a beggar and went out and started playing his violin on a street corner. The result? The people loved it. In fact, he received many gifts in the short time he played; he calculated that if he had continued he would have gotten hundreds of dollars. Although he looked like a bum, the passersby were moved by the music that came from his heart. He proved that appearances are deceiving. It's what's inside that count!
This was something Samuel had failed to consider as he searched for a new king to reign over Israel. The Lord had told him he would find His choice among the sons of Jesse. So when the first young man he saw was Jesse's impressive looking son Eliab, Samuel assumed that he must be the one. But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance, or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the out ward appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7). Eliab lacked the inner qualities that God required.
Dear friends, God uses people who possess an inner strength and beauty - even though they may lack physical appearances. By living according to His word and yielding to Christ, we can develop a winning disposition and a gracious personality. It's the beauty within that matter in God's work.
"Think not alone of outward form |
