God looks at the heart

https://odb.org/2024/01/26/no-more-prejudice-2

1 Samuel 16:7 sets out the criteria God uses to choose a leader for Him. God looks at the heart rather than the appearance. In contrast to Saul, who was the most handsome man in Israel and head and shoulders taller than anyone else (1 Samuel 9:2), David was only a young boy when God chose him for Samuel to anoint as the next King of Israel. This is not to say that David did not later grow up to be as handsome and strong as Saul, but at that time when he was chosen, he was still a young boy. History later showed that David became the pinnacle of the Kingdom of Israel, its golden years. As a young boy, he later killed Goliath, the physical giant of the Philistines with a slingshot to his head.

But what about the heart of David that the LORD evaluated would be a better King than Saul. In 1 Samuel 13:4, the LORD described David as a man after His own heart. This means that David was always willing to obey and follow God’s instructions and fulfil His will. He always wants to do what God desires. This gave David the boldness and courage to face Goliath, a child against a near 8-foot giant because he believed that a man that defies the Lord of Hosts should not live.

David was not a person without sin and weakness, though, as he sinned against God when he committed adultery with Bethsheba. Sin was not without consequences, but David genuinely repented after he was rebuked by Samuel. One generation later, David was succeeded by his son with Bethsheba, and Solomon became the wisest and most successful King of Israel, although he did not follow God all the way. Nevertheless, it was from this line of Ruth and Boaz’s son, Obed (David’s grandfather), that Jesus came into this world to become the final King of the Jews and the saviour of mankind.

God looks at our hearts. If we want to serve Him, it is our heart that matters most. If we want to preach for God, our heart must be for Him first. Then, we can work on our delivery, research, and hearing. Not the other way round. It is the same if we are called to serve God in worship or as a musician or in other fields like missions. As Jesus so famously taught us – seek ye first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and all this shall be added unto you. Get our hearts right first before God and everything else will fall into place, whether it is our ministry, our life, or our career.