What you see is what you get?

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)

The playwright, Robert Greene, reminds us, "We do not see people as they are, but as they appear to us. And these appearances are usually misleading." Seeing is not always believing, is it? I can look one way but be thinking something entirely different than I 'let on', and so can you! The 'appearances' can always be deceiving - we must look deeper into the heart of man, at his spirit. God teaches us to not depend upon those outward appearances - there is something much more important for us to see and it originates within the very spirit of a man.

The heart - mind, will, emotions - the inner man. Whatever you call it, the make-up of a man or woman isn't always the first thing we look at when we see another. We see what they 'put forward', much like Jesse did when he 'put forward' his eldest son for Samuel. In those days, the eldest would be the one chosen to lead - chosen for a position of power or authority. All those who came in the middle, and especially not the youngest, would seldom be considered for such an honor or to bear that responsibility. The 'custom of the day' was about to be challenged by God - choosing upon appearances (what others saw and wanted) had led to a rather rocky situation under King Saul's leadership.

The importance of never 'judging a book by its cover' really wasn't emphasized until God told Samuel not to look at appearance or the height of his stature, but to look at the heart. From the beginning of time, God has looked past what man 'puts out there' into the very core of his heart. If the heart was dedicated to him, submitted to his authority, it didn't matter that the appearance didn't 'measure up' to what one might imagine. Jesus wasn't a white or purple silk robed individual when he walked this earth (like the Pharisees were) - he wore simple garb, displayed a welcoming understanding of people's needs, and lived amongst the people he came to save. 

We can learn much from the instruction Samuel received from God those many years ago. Even though man puts forth one image - God may see an entirely different one. Just sayin!