FIRST IMPRESSIONS
READ:
1 Samuel 16:1-7
For man looks at the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks
at the heart. - 1 Samuel
16:7
As I shopped for groceries
one day, I was perceived as a thief by one person and a hero by another.
As I exited the
supermarket, an employee said, “Excuse
me, Sir. There are too may unbagged
items in your cart.” This is
evidently a strategy used by shoplifters.
When he saw that they were products too big to be bagged, he apologized
and sent me on my way.
In the parking lot, a
woman glanced at my gold embroidered sportsman’s cap. Mistaking it for a military hat, she said, “Thank you for defending our country!” Then she walked away.
The supermarket employee
and the woman in the parking lot had each formed hasty conclusions about
me. It’s easy to form opinions of others
based on first impressions.
When Samuel was to select
the next king of Israel from the sons of Jesse, he too made a judgment based on
first impressions. However, God’s chosen
was not any of the older sons. The
Spirit told Samuel, “Do not look at his
appearance or at his physical stature” (1
Samuel 16:7). God chose David,
the youngest, who looked least like a king.
God can help us view
people through His eyes, for “the LORD does not see as man sees;…the LORD looks
at the heart” (v.7). – Dennis Fisher
If we could view through eyes of faith
The people we meet each day
We’d quickly see God’s gracious hand
In all who come our way. –D. DeHaan
*********************************************
First impressions can often lead to wrong conclusions.
INSIGHT
David acknowledged that God had searched his heart and knew him
inside out (Psalm 17:3; 139:1). And so
God commended him as “a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts
13:22). Paul carried this theme further
by warning against putting up appearances because of “the day when God will
judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 4:5).
Have a blessed day and
weekend.
God Our Creator’s Love
Always
Unity & Peace
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