For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
~ 1 Samuel 16:7
We live in a world where appearance is everything....having the right clothes,
the right makeup, the right hairstyle, looking the right way, driving the
right car....I could go on, but you get the picture. We also tend to judge
those around us by their appearance - I'm as guilty of that as the next
person.
We see someone who is fat, sloppy, wears strange clothes, has a bad hairstyle
or has some kind of disability, and we think of them as somehow falling short
of 'personhood' in some way. We may not do it consciously, but we may still
do it. We rob ourselves of the gift of friendship when we judge someone in
that way. We may even be that person that doesn't fit the world's image of
perfection. And we know the hurt of being judged on that basis.
The wonderful news is that God doesn't see us that way - he's not looking for
us to meet a worldly standard of perfection before He'll accept us - the right
clothes don't matter to Him. And your car? Hey, it's just a bucket of bolts
anyway, no matter what ornament is on the hood Appearance is only the
surface of a person, and it's not what matters to God - He sees your heart,
the person that you are deep inside, and He loves that person. The person
who's hiding deep inside from the hurts of life, who feels unacceptable
because he falls short of the world's standards, the person who wonders if
anyone really cares about them. God loves you right now, where you are, no
matter what - and His love WILL NOT CHANGE - He won't turn His back on
you....EVER!
Today, rejoice in the knowledge that you are loved by God. He sees your
heart, and He knows it intimately, and He loves you!! Let the joy of that
knowledge fill you, and share that joy with everyone you meet through a smile
or a kind word.
Thank You for Your love, Lord. Without it, this world would be a cold and
lonely place. You know me intimately, You see the dark places of my soul,
deep inside, and You still love me. Draw me closer to You, and help me to
share Your love today.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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