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1 Samuel 16:7 - HOW IMPORTANT IS COLOR?

1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV) But the LORD said to 
Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the 
height of his stature, because I have refused him. 
For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man 
looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD 
looks at the heart." 

INTRODUCTION

   Israel's first king started well but 
ended up completely self-absorbed. He apparently 
thought God was building his kingdom rather than 
calling him to build God's Kingdom. So after a 
string of revealing episodes in which Saul acted 
rashly, selfishly, and stubbornly, God spoke through 
Samuel to inform Saul that his reign would be 
stripped from him and given to someone with a 
different heart. 
   That speaks volumes about the nature of 
God's Kingdom. As the nation of Israel morphed 
from a collection of tribes to a unified 
monarchy, God gave them an illustration of what a king 
shouldn't be before giving them a picture of what a 
king should be. Saul was head and shoulders above 
the rest, and he was even influenced by the 
Spirit to prophesy and lead on more than one 
occasion. But the overall direction of his life served 
his own purposes, and he became paranoid, 
obsessive, and manic in trying to hang on to them. In 
Saul's place, God gave His people a shepherd with a 
heart like His own - fiercely protective, 
passionate for worship, zealous for justice, drawn to 
the troubled and hurting, creative and artistic, 
and inspired with divine insights. And when he 
failed, he was able to repent without his ego 
getting in the way. He wore the heart of a king on 
his sleeve. 
   We see an even better picture of kingship 
in Jesus, the exact image of the Father. But 
before the ultimate King was revealed, God wanted 
His people to know what kind of Kingdom He would 
establish and more importantly, what kind of king 
should sit on its throne. Why? Because the heart of 
the king will be increasingly reflected in the 
hearts of the people who serve him. God is looking 
for hearts that overflow, with passion, purpose, 
creativity, inspiration, compassion, justice, and zeal. 
Just like His. [The One Year Heaven On Earth 
Devotional by Chris Tiegreen] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Nobody is colorblind when it comes to 
race. And God doesnt want you to be  
colorblind. He wants you to be color blessed.
   God loves color. Just take a look 
outside! Everything he makes is in color, like 
sunsets and flowers. Look at all the different 
people around the world. God loves color! The way 
he created you demonstrates this.  
   We need to learn to see all people the 
way God sees them.  
   The Bible says, The Lord does not look 
at the things people look at. People look at 
the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at 
the heart (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV). 
   Quite frankly, thats a tall order for 
most of us. Its not natural to look at the 
inside before the outside. Were trained to make 
snap judgments based on outward appearance.  
   Some people you trust just by looking at 
them, others you dont. Books are judged by 
their covers. Homes are judged by their curb 
appeal. People are judged by how they look, dress, 
and talk. 
   So ask God to help you start seeing 
people the way he sees them. Look at their heart, 
not their skin. 
   Its one of the first steps toward 
overcoming prejudice in your life - and in the world 
around you. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

COMMENTARY

GOD WANTS YOUR HEART

   Seven sons pass. Seven sons fail. The 
procession comes to a halt. 
   Samuel counts the siblings: 
one-two-three-four-five-six-seven. Jesse, dont you have eight sons? A 
similar question caused Cinderellas stepmother to 
squirm. Jesse likely did the same. I still have 
the youngest son. He is out taking care of the 
sheep. (v. 11) 
   The Hebrew name for youngest son is 
haqqaton. It implies more than age, it suggests rank. 
The haqqaton was more that the youngest brother- 
the runt, the hobbit, the bay-ay-ay-by. 
   Sheep watching fits the family haqqaton. 
Put the boy where he cant cause trouble. 
Leave him with woolly heads and open skies. 
   What caused God to pick him? We want to 
know. We really want to know. 
   The Lord does not see as a man sees: 
for the man looks at the outward appearance, but 
the Lord looks at the heart (v.7) 
   Those words were written for the 
haqqatons of society, for misfits and castouts. God 
uses them all. 
   Moses ran from justice, but God used him.
   Jonah ran from God, but God used him.
   Rahab ran a brothel, Samson ran to the 
wrong woman, Jacob ran in circles, Ruth ran to a 
distant land, Elijah ran into the mountains, Sarah 
ran out of hope, Lot ran with the wrong crowd, 
but God used them all. 
   And David? God saw a teenage boy, serving 
him in the backwoods of Bethlehem, at the 
intersection of boredom and anonymity, and through the 
voice of a brother, God called, David! Come in. 
Someone wants to see you. 
   God saw what no one else saw: a 
God-seeking heart. Others measure your waist size or 
wallet. Not God. He examines hearts. When he finds 
one set on him, he calls it and claims it. [Max 
Lucado Daily Devotional at maxlucado.com] 

GOD HAS A PLAN

   What do you live for each day? A pay 
raise? Retirement? Then perhaps you've discovered 
the reality that basing aspirations on getting 
ahead in this world typically ends in 
disappointment. People with a misguided sense of direction 
often wonder why they feel unfulfilled. 
   Maybe you've already realized a goal of 
saving for the future or moving up the corporate 
ladder. You give to charity and volunteer at church, 
but somehow still feel a sense of insignificance 
or aimlessness. If so, there is a truth you 
need to hear: God gives each of us life for a 
very specific reason: to serve Him. Nobody finds 
inner peace without reconciling this fact. Our 
society teaches us that pleasure, prosperity, 
position, and popularity will make us happy--but 
living in the service of self always leaves an 
emptiness no earthly reward can fill. 
   Besides, worldly philosophy won't stand 
the test of time. Few of us are going to live 
even 100 years. So whatever we'll become in this 
life, we're in the process of becoming that right 
now. Consider David: he was anointed king long 
before actually assuming the role (1 Sam. 16:12). 
He spent many years serving the purpose of God 
in insignificant places while developing into a 
great man. As his story shows, discovering God's 
purpose for your life is the surest path to 
success. 
   Our heavenly Father's purpose for our 
lives comes from His heart of love--which is 
perfect. None of us can foretell the great things He 
has in store for us, but we can trust His plan 
completely. Surrender to Him today and say, "Not my 
will, Lord, but Yours be done." [In Touch Daily 
Devotional by Charles Stanley at www.intouch.org] 

LIVING GODS PLAN

   Last week I was driving down the 
interstate when I saw a bright yellow streak coming up 
behind me. As it passed me, I saw an emblem on the 
back that told me it was a Ferrari. I would have 
loved to have checked it out a little better, but 
it was traveling so fast that all I saw was a 
blur.  
   Ten miles down the road, I saw that 
Ferrari again. Only this time it didn't look so 
good. It had tangled with the guardrail. The 
driver was standing beside it, shaking his head. 
Fortunately, there were no passengers, and he didn't seem 
to be hurt.  
   As I rambled on down the road, I was 
reminded that no matter how good we look to others, 
we are all subject to a crash when we get 
reckless and don't keep our focus on God and the 
principles of his Word. It's always when we think 
nothing can stop us that suddenly something does, 
with painful consequences. We can seriously 
damage this beautiful new life God has given us if 
we fail to pay attention to the rules of the 
road.  
   Lord God, thank you for the amazing life 
you've given me. I will guard and protect it by 
living my life your way! In Jesus' name, Amen. 
[Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny 
Baker] 

WITH PURE MOTIVES

   Something God taught me early in my 
journey with Him, and reminds me of often, is that 
He is not nearly as interested or impressed 
with what we do as He is in why we do it. If we 
give to the poor in order to be seen by men, we 
lose our reward, because God is only pleased with 
good works done for right reasons. If we fast or 
pray in order to be noticed or admired, we lose 
our reward, because God does not admire good 
works done for wrong reasons. 
   Let us be sure that we do what we do for 
God and His glory because we love Him and want 
to be a blessing to other people - never to get 
anything! There have been times in my life when I have 
done the right thing but for wrong reasons. I 
have done things thinking I might earn a blessing 
from God. I have done things to please people 
with no thought of pleasing God in mind. I have 
done things to get attention or to gain 
acceptance. I often wondered why I wasn't really happy, 
even though I was doing good things, but 
eventually I learned that true joy only comes from 
serving God with a pure heart. 
   It is often difficult for a person to 
take a deeper, more honest look at the true 
motives behind the things they do, but I strongly 
encourage you to do so. You may learn a truth about 
yourself that will be life-changing and will set you 
free. We are not truly free until we have no need 
to impress anyone and our motives for all of 
our actions are pure. This is an ongoing, 
lifelong process, but it is one that pleases God. 
Everyone else will see our actions, but God sees our 
heart! 
   Prayer: Father, I ask You to forgive me 
for doing things with impure motives. I want to 
serve You with a pure heart and ask for Your 
discernment as I go forward. Help me to be honest with 
myself about why I am doing things! [My Time with 
God by Joyce Meyer] 

   When I asked one of my kids to do a 
chore, it was obvious this chore wasn't their top 
priority or passion at the moment. My slightly grumpy 
child obliged, obeying out of necessity, but only 
putting in partial effort. That's when I slipped 
into fatherly lecture mode, teaching about the 
importance of putting your heart into what you do. 
   I've learned that whenever your heart 
isn't right with God, whatever you do will be a 
struggle. Perhaps that's why Jesus told us that before 
we give a gift at the altar, we should make 
sure we are right with other people (see Mall. 
5:23-24). Jesus also quoted Isaiah and said that some 
people would honor him with their lips but their 
hearts were far from him (see Mali 15:8). 
   Any time we obey God but demand that he 
give us our desired results, we are not obeying 
with the right heart. We don't obey God so he 
will bless us. We obey him because we love him. 
I'm convinced that there are times God doesn't 
change our situations because he is trying to 
change our hearts. 
   Take a moment to examine your heart. Are 
you struggling with being thankful and praising 
God for what he's given you? Where is your true 
devotion? Are you seeking God with true purity of 
heart? 
   If not, it's time to change.
   Because more than anything else, God 
wants your heart. 
   Jesus, I surrender my attitude and 
motives and want to make sure my heart is right with 
you. Forgive me for my sins and restore my focus 
on loving you. [Daily Power by Craig 
Groeschel] 

ILLUSTRATION

   While shopping with my twelve-year-old 
granddaughter, Lacey, I showed her a white headband with 
the words Hello Gorgeous stitched in fancy 
script. "I might get this for washing my face and 
putting on makeup," I said. "But I would remove the 
embroidered words. 
   "Don't do that, Nana!" Lacey said. "It 
might be good motivation for you." 
   Bless her sweet, innocent heart. I didn't 
explain that seeing that greeting in my bathroom 
mirror in the mornings would motivate me, all right 
- to roll around on the floor laughing. 
   It's hard not to get fixated on physical 
beauty when we're bombarded with retouched, 
air-brushed images of perfect-looking women and men. 
Imagine how different it would be if our culture 
promoted inner beauty, the kind that truly matters 
and never fades away. The kind of beauty that 
we've all seen shine through someone who loves 
Jesus wholeheartedly. 
   Isaiah 53:2 tells us that Jesus had no 
special beauty to attract people's attention. Still, 
hymns about our "fairest Lord Jesus" and 
"beautiful Savior" remind us that real beauty can't 
necessarily be detected by human eyes. If we've trusted 
Jesus to be our Savior, then God already sees us 
as pure and unblemished. And the more we act 
like Jesus, the more gorgeous we become. by 
Dianne Neal Matthews 
   Faith Step: Which term for believers do 
you most need to hear right now: chosen, dearly 
loved child, beloved? Write it on a note to stick 
on your bathroom mirror. Imagine Jesus greeting 
you like that every morning. [Mornings With 
Jesus 2019 Devotional by Guideposts and 
Zondervan] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

   People tend to show only their best side 
on social media. They curate and try to control 
what gets posted, who sees it, and how others 
respond to it. Most of the time, they're hoping 
everyone will think they're the coolest, smartest, 
most attractive, successful version of 
themselves. 
   But rarely does our profile picture show 
who we truly are. Those comments and captions 
don't often express what's really inside. Wouldn't 
it be interesting if there were an app allowing 
others to know what you're really thinking, not 
just what you post online? 
   If the people around you could look 
inside your heart right now, what would they see? 
Would they be surprised by what's there? Would you 
be surprised by what's there? 
   Most of us hide our problems and disguise 
our disappointments, trying to appear pleasant 
and professional. When someone asks how we're 
doing at work, we say, "Just fine, thanks. And 
you?" Rarely are we authentic with most of the 
people we encounter throughout the day. 
   But we can't fool God. No matter what our 
online profile looks like, he knows what's really 
inside us, both the good and the bad. But the best 
news is that through the power of Christ, we 
don't have to try to fool anyone. We're free to be 
authentic, to drop our masks, and to share the truth of 
our Father's love with everyone around us. 
   Dear Lord, today let others see Jesus in 
me. Help me to live with integrity and display 
an authentic attitude of love, kindness, and 
gentleness - the real deal. [Daily Power by Craig 
Groeschel] 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

   Man looks at the outward appearance but I 
look at the heart. The ability to see is a great 
gift. I grant glimpses of My Glory via visual 
beauty in nature. Great paintings, sculptures, and 
cinematography can also help awaken your soul. Rejoice in 
these glorious gifts, but do not become enslaved 
to appearances. I am primarily interested in 
the condition of your heart, and I work to 
create beauty in it. 
   It is vital to set aside time for 
nourishing your heart. Above all else, guard your 
heart, for it is the wellspring of life. A 
wellspring is a source of abundant supply. Since you 
belong to Me, My own Life flows through you! 
However, to keep this Life flowing abundantly, you 
must protect your heart from evil influences and 
nourish it with Bible study and prayer. 
   Aligning your priorities with My teaching 
can be very freeing. When you don't like the way 
things look in your world, close your eyes and gaze 
at who I am. Remember that I am Immanuel - God 
with you. (1Sa. 16:7; Pro. 4:23; Mat. 1:23) 
[Jesus Always by Sarah Young] 

CROSS REFERENCE FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Romans 2:11 (NLT) For God does not show 
favoritism.  

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

Importance of Choice: 
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]  

Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David 
DeRose, MD, MPH: 
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides: 
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio (currently live): 
https://bible.awr.org/the-warning/ 

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657