Perspective

1 Sam 16:7 'The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'

 

Men are easily impressed with the outward and the visible. God is impressed by the heart. Men are quick to foster external appearances; and slow to foster the condition of the heart. God observes men in truth - in their very hearts.

 

Men often make the mistake that the external is linked to the heart in some sort of directly proportionate relationship. But this is counter to this verse of the Bible. The outward is not necessarily indicative of the heart.

 

The heart is judged by God through an assortment of tests that establish the veracity of the contents of the heart. There is the test of aloneness - the condition of the heart when one is totally alone. There is the test of obscurity - the condition of the heart when the outward appearance is meagre. There is the test of apparent failure - the condition of the heart when one's effort seemingly do not amount to much. There is the test of betrayal - the condition of the heart when people let you down, abandon you, betray God's purposes. There is the test of humility - the condition of the heart when God won't allow His glory to be co-shared with any other.