“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. 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
Today, I want to say something to those of you who have felt rejected or ostracized in your life: God does not see what man sees. You are an overcomer and more than a conqueror in Jesus, even though you appear to be an underdog to the rest of the world! King David is possibly the best illustration of God utilizing an unexpected subject to accomplish great things for Him. As King Saul’s successor, his predecessor appeared to be made for the role; he was strong, educated, and tough, with a lot of potentials. However, as time passed, Saul grew engulfed in jealously, selfishness, and covetousness, eventually turning into a murderer. In essence, the king wasted his life and was eventually rejected by God, who told the prophet, Samuel, that a new king would be selected. For the Lord had his eye on the appropriate candidate, He directed Samuel to travel to the house of Jesse, who had seven sons, because the one who would be king lived there. “Surely this is God’s anointed,” the prophet exclaimed as he entered the house and observed Eliab, who was tall, good-looking, and undoubtedly extremely “kingly.” The Lord, on the other hand, told him not to be concerned with outer appearances since He sees the heart. So Samuel turned down Eliab, and Jesse displayed all of his sons before the prophet, from oldest to youngest. “Are there no others?” he said as they approached the last one, and they all looked around and shuffled their feet, unsure whether or not to reveal the one who remained. Someone finally spoke out and remarked, “Well, there’s David. He’s the youngest, and he’s outside taking care of the sheep.” Samuel then declares, “We will not sit down to eat until he is here,” because he has concluded that David is the one God has chosen. Friend, you, like David, may have been held back, pushed down, or overshadowed by another person’s insecurity and wrongdoing, but I want you to know that nothing can stop God’s great plan for your life! Who you are has inexplicable value, potential, and worth to Jesus. Your heart is valuable to Him, and He will use your life to help others better understand His love. Don’t be discouraged by opposition or rejection; in Him, you are more than a conqueror! Isn’t that fantastic news? |
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for perceiving my heart rather than my outward appearance. Nothing can stop your power from operating in my life, no matter what has been done to me or spoken over me.
Reflection
Have you ever felt like an outsider? What has Jesus done to redeem rejection?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
4 Responses
Wonderful. Thank you for reminding me. I have been rejected so many times in so many ways, including family.
“But God …”
Judy, God loves you with all His heart. When He thinks of you, it puts a smile on God’s face. You are a very, very precious daughter of Almighty God. So precious that the value is beyond what anyone can put a monetary value on: it’s priceless. God loves you, accepts you, values you & the Bible tells us that Jesus said He is going to prepare a place for you in Heaven. Yes, Jesus is personally seeing to all the details of your future heavenly home. That’s how much He lives you! So today, lift up your eyes to heaven and thank Him for everything He is to you, for all the things He does for you (most of which you don’t even know about) and receive from God’s own hand His love in all its fullness. Jenny
Typo…should read …”how much He loves you”….
Sorry!
We place so much emphasis on outward appearances. Diet fads come and go and those with weight issues can be ostracized. There are no cookie cutter people.Thank God for seeing who we truly are!