184. Lord Looks at the Heart
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
When Samuel went to anoint David, first he looked at seven sons of Jesse, but the Lord told him that none of these were chosen. Finally, the eighth son, David, came in from the sheep pasture, and God said, “Anoint him, for this is he.” All seven other sons of Jesse looked good in outward appearance, but God chose the eighth son, David. God chose David to be anointed king of Israel because of this word: “The Lord looks on the heart.” God sees the invisible; He knows the inner man; He regards the spirit of a person; He looks on the heart. When God saw the heart of David He saw that he was a “man after My heart.”
We may take this as a promise. God promises to look on the heart. Humans cannot see the heart; therefore, they are not allowed to judge anyone, for they do not know the mind, heart, and motives of anyone else, much less their own. But we have this promise that God looks at the heart and sees what is there. And his judgment is right and righteous. Jesus knows what is in man. Jesus knows his sheep. We need to remember this promise when we ourselves, and the world around us, looks bleak, dark, ugly and nasty. We have a pure heart because we have a pure Jesus in it. That is what God sees. We need to remember this word when we become complacent, proud and smug, and things look rosy. We have the sinful, corrupt heart of a sinner. God also sees that, but, God be praised, He forgives, cleanses, and creates a new heart, full of Jesus.
God does not see our inner goodness, for He tells us that there is none. But in the Christian He sees only the goodness of Jesus, the righteousness of God, and the purity of the Holy Spirit. Believers in Jesus are “after God’s heart.” We don’t see it, but God does, and so we believe it. True self-esteem comes from esteeming highly the Father, Son, and Spirit who lives within, not from esteeming the sinful self.
Because we do not see the heart, God condemns gossip, criticism and a judgmental spirit. We may judge the sin as sin, but not the sinner. We regard believers as righteous because of God in them; we regard unbelievers as potentially good because they may be converted by faith in Christ.
David’s heart was right, for He trusted in God. David was a chief of sinners, but he repented and received forgiveness and “a right spirit within him.” Open your heart to God and let Him look. Believe what and Who He sees there.