I 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.
Do you care how you look? If you don’t, you are one of a very select number of people, and you are probably less than 10 years old. Chances are, if anyone cares about how you look, you are that person. The truth is that all of us care about how we look to some extent, and probably most of us care too much about how we look. Does God care about how we look?
When Samuel was being used of God to anoint the next king, he observed several sons of Jesse who all seemed impressive in their physical appearance. Looking at one in particular, Samuel was impressed and thought, “Surely, God’s anointed is before me.”
I Samuel 16:7 says, “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.” Now, is appearance totally unimportant? Well, the Bible tells us quite a bit about David’s appearance. He was ruddy, of a beautiful countenance, and he was goodly to look on.
God sees your heart because He can. People can only see how you communicate your heart. It’s important to note that all we know about David’s appearance here seems to be of a morally indifferent nature. David was not communicating rebellion or obedience by his appearance. He was communicating physical traits, things that were not of a moral nature. So, if I’m going to be unconcerned about how I look, I ought to be more unconcerned about my height than about the attitude I’m communicating. If my heart is at peace with God and I love Him, then certainly my countenance, my appearance, my dress, and the way I carry myself should communicate this accurately.
If a person looks like he loves God, he carries a big Bible and talks very piously, but couldn’t care less about God, what do you call that person? You call him a hypocrite. Then what can I possibly call someone who loves and wants to serve God but looks like he belongs to the world? That’s not accurate either.
What is most important is what God knows, not what people see, but because what God knows is important, how I communicate that to people who can only see outward appearance is mighty important as well. May God help us to have a heart for Him, and may He help us to wisely communicate that heart by the outward appearance that people can see.