SUMMARY: God’s eyes
OVERVIEW: God chooses David to be the next king, and Samuel anoints him with oil.
BIG IDEA: Don’t give people special treatment or judge them based solely on their appearance.
KEY VERSE: 1 Samuel 16:7 (God to Samuel)
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
IF GOD WROTE YOU A LETTER
I want you to love me and love others. You choose whether or not to do so, but I know in doing so, you will find fulfillment and joy. Loving others can be a challenge, but to be clear, I want you to love everyone. Don’t just look out for the ones you like or those who look good or who believe what you believe. Let your first impression be that the person you see is a child of God. I have created each person and, therefore, each is worthy of honor.
So what do you do when you live or work with unlovable people? Pray. Pray for strength. Pray for courage. And pray for the Holy Spirit to change their hearts. But leave the heart change to me. I want you to focus on trusting me and honoring those who cross your path. Be wise. You do not have to serve those who seek to hurt you in any way. But pray that your heart stays soft and pray that their heart begins to soften.
NEXT STEP
Focus on your heart today. Don’t look at a mirror. Instead, every time you would normally do so (even a glance), use that time to pray. Ask God to search your heart and to reveal anything he wants to do in your life.
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