The LORD said to Samuel, “Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.” 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.”
Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” So, he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So, he sent and had him brought in. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” (1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10–12, NIV 1984).
My Musings – We make way too many judgments based on appearance. The one with the best-looking resume. The one who performed best at the debate. The one that looks most like us. The one with the highest I.Q., who attended the best schools, has accumulated the most wealth or comes with the finest “pedigree.” God looks at the heart. It doesn’t matter if they are a shepherd, a fisherman, or a tax-collector. Blue collar or white collar. There are many with so much going on in the head, but very little going on in the heart. Missing God’s “anointing” by eighteen inches.
My Advice – Feeling unworthy? None of us are. Don’t “look” the part? Looks are frequently deceiving, and usually aren’t what gets the job done anyway. Things are not always what they appear. Focus on the heart. That’s where God’s focus is.
The Brew Is A Musing 