David

READY 

"But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'” 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT

SET 

You can’t judge a book by its cover. The baseball player Yogi Berra stood at 5’7”. He hit 358 home runs and won 10 championship rings with the Yankees. The basketball player Spud Webb is also 5’7”. He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. The football player Barry Sanders is 5’8”. He won the Heisman Trophy and was one of the top rushers in NFL history.

While we don’t know how tall King David was, we do know that he was the youngest brother in his big family. He was overlooked and underestimated. However, he had a big heart that beat for God’s glory. He was a skilled music player for God’s praise. He was courageous for God’s name on the battlefield. He was victorious for God’s people against enemies. But he was still human; imperfect. He made many mistakes and committed several sins.

I’m glad you can’t judge a book by its cover. Almost no one would have chosen David. Certainly, no one would have chosen Jesus. What matters most to God does not care about your size or height, but the size of your heart for Him.

As competitors, we may be tempted to focus only on things we can measure, like height or strength. But if we look beyond the surface, as God does us, we can be inspired. In the end, we all need Jesus, a King whose heart is perfectly in-tune with the heart of God. We need a King who will not disappoint us. We need a loving and saving King. And when we take on His heart, then all things become possible.

GO 

1. Your heart is who you are on the inside. It’s who you really are. Who are you?
2. What are some ways you can make your heart bigger for God? 

WORKOUT 

• Mark 7:14-23
• Ezekiel 36:24-27

OVERTIME 

“Father in heaven, thank You for the heart of Jesus, our perfect and powerful King. Please turn our hearts each day toward worship for Your glory.”

Ryan Limbaugh