Anchor Devotional

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A King’s Heart

“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b

Student council election time at the middle school level is fascinating. It’s not difficult to tell which candidates will be elected. Typically, those who are funny, charismatic, smart, or good-looking win the day.

The irony in this pattern in voting is that it’s the opposite of how the Kingdom of God operates. When David was anointed as the future king of Israel, he was far younger and smaller than his older, stronger brothers. Samuel thought that surely any one of David’s brothers would be a better fit than David. And yet God made it clear that “people look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” God will call those whom He has chosen, and He will equip them for that calling. This was true for David, for Moses, for Jacob … and it’s still true today!

What if you were to set aside your thoughts of a leader’s qualifications, and instead sought God’s wisdom in who should lead? Perhaps God is calling you to lead in some way, though you may not seem likely by outward appearances. Are you open to His calling?

SCRIPTURE FOCUS
1 Samuel 16:1-13

INSIGHT
Father, please help me to see what You see in people and to accept the calling You have for me. Amen

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 19-20
Psalm 52
Luke 15

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