“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.”
I Samuel 16:7 KJV
The Lord God knows your thoughts, your motives, your deepest desires and your greatest sorrows. There’s nothing that He does not know about you. And He loves you regardless of what you’ve done. That’s why He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for you; to take the penalty for your rebellion against His holy standards, offering forgiveness to all those who believe.
People judge us by our appearance – what they can see: our clothes, our stature, our hygiene, the attitudes we display. And that’s usually how we judge others. But the Lord looks at your inner being: your motives and intentions, your genuine attitudes of concern or love for others; the real you. And while others may accuse you erroneously, God always sees the truth. That’s something to rejoice in.
“…for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart…”
- God does not see man as we see each other.
- God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.
- God’s ways are not our ways.
Isaiah 55:9 says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
That’s why God doesn’t see man like we see him. His ways and thoughts are so much more advanced than ours.
Anyone who’s ever flown in a jet plane knows how high they climb to reach cruising altitude – usually ten or twelve thousand feet. And yet that plane is no where near Heaven. The comparative distance between Heaven and Earth is the same distance between God’s ways and our ways, according to the Bible.
Now, we all face challenges and heartaches that God allows us to go through for one reason or another. But God’s ways are not our ways. He doesn’t keep us from going through pain; He strengthens and comforts us in the midst of pain. Regardless of our trials, we can be assured that God will carry us through them all.