Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 16. (day two)
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” vs. 7
“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.” Luke 1:52
If there is an underlying theme that we can pull from the grand narrative of scripture it might be that God’s ways are not like ours. What we value, what we honor tend to be vapid, shallow, and very often narcissistic. God is always about the long game. What withers and fades is of little use to an eternal God bent on the everlasting future of his children. It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, then, when his choice of leader, his direction for our lives, his ultimate plans deviate from ours. Our best recourse is to recalibrate our hearts to his.
There are men’s ways and God’s ways. Men’s thinking is conditioned or is driven by our needs, circumstances or situations, earthy laws, and influenced by those whom we surround ourselves with, or shaped by those we work for and report to. God’s thinking is all about merits, grace and eternity. God’s way starts and ends with His Word, the Bible, that is unchanging.
We depend on God for guidance and for all of our needs. He does not need us; we, human beings, need Him. God is the creator of the universe and is in total control of His creation and all operations of the earth. He is God with supreme power and authority; therefore, there are no competing forces against Him while human beings compete against each other for survival needs, possessions, authority, position power and other powers, for economic, social and political influences and so on.
No one would disagree that God’s ways and men’s ways are in opposite direction. God allows us the freedom to live our lives His ways or our ways. It is wise to go His ways because at the end of our earthy lives, we will be judged by Him. It is my belief that we should follow His ways, develop self-awareness and examine our hearts and minds to make sure our ways are in harmony with God’s ways. I will definitely choose to obey the commands from those who have the formal authority and power to judge my performance and definitely obey God’s Word in guiding my operations and decisions to ensure they are in harmony with God’s directions.
Great reminder, “Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.” This statement is an affirmation of the difference between men’s way and God’s way! How do you make your decision? By outward appearance or by one’s heart? Which way is more reliable?