Although he was the youngest of many brothers, it was the shepherd boy, David, whom God chose to be king. David’s father never even called him in to be considered for the anointing. Samuel saw the oldest brother, Eliab, as the prime candidate. But the Lord reminded Samuel that the heart matters more than looks.
How easily we respond like Samuel. Don’t we often look at outward appearances with all our unrealistic expectations? A church elder told us about a time he brought a friend with cerebral palsy to a church meeting. This young man could only speak through a communication board, so the meeting went on without its members taking much notice of him. At one point, he started to make a noise, so they turned and asked him to be quiet. After another noise, he began to spell a response. The insightful comment he shared humbled the whole group. This man was used by the Lord to turn the tide of the discussion. Their focus turned from his disability to his ability.
May we learn to see people not by outward appearances but by the heart, as Jesus has seen us.