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The Lord Looks on the Heart
God has rejected Saul from being king, and therefore Samuel has to anoint a new one. God tells him to go to a certain family in Bethlehem, and to anoint one of its sons as king. When Samuel sees the eldest son, he is impressed by his appearance. This man would really qualify as a king! It seems clear to Samuel that the Lord has chosen this man.
But God intervenes to teach him a lesson. “The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, ESV).
We humans tend to be impressed by someone’s appearance, but God is not. He “searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought” (1 Chronicles 28:9, ESV). That makes it all the more important, both for a king and for ordinary citizens, to “know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind” (same verse).
God looks on your heart as well. What does He see there?
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About this Plan
In the first centuries of their existence as a people, the Israelites had no king. Instead, God appointed prophets and judges to lead them. The last prophet-judge was Samuel. He was a faithful leader who wanted to serve the Lord and to seek the best for his people. This reading plan takes you through Samuel’s life in 15 days and contains valuable lessons that are still relevant today.
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