The Heart of a King

1 Samuel 16:7” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Have you ever been in a space where you wanted something and saw people around you as being more qualified? Who you saw as being better suited for the position?There are times in our lives where we feel led to do something and look around and see other people who "on paper" look better suited for what we want. In job settings, they have a stronger resume with points that make you question if you're even qualified. In relationships, you may see someone as being funnier, more intelligent or attractive than you. The beauty in God is that he goes beyond the surface and looks at your heart.David becoming king is a good example of this. The nation of Israel already had a king but God was displeased with him and sought to anoint another. Samuel, a prophet and the last judge of Israel, was sent out to find the new king. 1 Samuel 16 captures his conversation with God and the Lord plainly tells him, this person may look good on the outside but I am looking for something beyond that.Be encouraged to know that while God sees your doubt and inexperience, he looks beyond that to see your core and capacity to accomplish the work, relationship, etc that lies in front of you. Psalm 42:7 puts it like this "Deep cries out to deep". That's such a profound idea because it shows that something in you is responsive to God's heart and that is what allows him to entrust things to you. It is not just the desire of your heart, it is the desire of his heart for you and all those who will be blessed by you in that space.That's exactly what happened to David. Samuel shows up in his village and looks over the men in his family and God said no to all of them. They had the right credentials - military leaders, active in the community - but they weren't it. God called the runt of the family, the baby who they sent out to watch over the sheep. He saw the capacity of this young man to lead a nation and it didn't matter what his "resume" said, he saw what was written in his heart. God saw a man who loved him fiercely and would be strong and capable enough to become King.