1 Samuel 16 - April 5, 2011

S - For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
O - As Samuel was looking at Jesse's sons and trying to determine which son would be the next king, the first son Eliab must have been quite a strong and good looking man as Samuel was convinced that he must be the chosen one. God said otherwise as He is more interested on what is on the inside of a person than the exterior.
A - As I'm walking through life I need to be aware that things that I can see are not always the most important. It is critical that I hear God's voice and follow obediently as only He can see the heart and character of a person. As I work with many people that need to understand who they really are, I know that I can only understand this through God's help. I can use all of the self-help and good communication skills that have ever been written about but without God's guidance there is still a good chance the I'll be judging a book by it's cover and be mistaken by some individuals as to who they really are.
Additionally, I always need to remember that every person is a gift from God. Later on in the chapter Samuel chooses David to be king, much to the surprise of probably everyone there. Even as everyone dismissed David and didn't even think it important enough for him to be there in the first place, we tend to dismiss people because of the way they look or talk or even walk. I need to remember that these people are still God's creation and value them as highly as I value myself and my family.
P - Lord, help me to continually hear your voice. Speak to me daily and guide me throughout life. Help me to see people through your eyes and to work and talk with those that have the true characteristics that you show me. Help me to value all people even as your Son died for every single person in the world. How amazing and completely selfless to die for even those that you knew would reject Him but you still love them. Give me that same heart toward every person that I run into throughout my life. In Jesus' name, Amen