Just a Minute Devotional #38
Judging wrongly
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 people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV)
From all appearances, the dress on the store rack was ugly. However, I needed a dress for an upcoming occasion, and it fit my budget. I tried it on. Amazingly, it looked better on me than on the hanger. That was a first.
Judging the dress had proved wrong. I wore that dress more than I can say.
Samuel was wrong about appearances when choosing a king. Eliab was the tall and handsome son of Jesse. But God let Samuel know that Eliab was not the one.
Out in the field, tending the sheep, was little David, the youngest son of Jesse. He was the chosen one of God who would be the next king of Israel. It would be through the lineage of David that the Messiah would come.
Do we judge people wrongly? Unfortunately, we do.
When we judge a book by its cover, or in other words, humans by their status, religion, wealth, fitness, beauty, and origin, we are wrong. If we follow God’s example, we will look at the heart and let Him be the judge.
Prayer:
Lord, help me not to judge others, but to remember that appearances can be deceiving. Amen.
