The Lord Looks At The Heart

[abigya]

THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART
by Max Lucado

“God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a
person, but the Lord looks at the heart.” II Samuel 16:7

Seven sons pass. Seven sons fail. The procession comes to a halt.

Samuel counts the siblings: one-two-three-four-five-six-seven. “Jesse,
don’t you have eight sons?” A similar question caused Cinderella’s
stepmother to squirm. Jesse likely did the same. “I still have the
youngest son. He is out taking care of the sheep.” (v. 11)

The Hebrew name for “youngest son” is haqqaton. It implies more than age,
it suggests rank. The haqqaton was more that the youngest brother- the
runt, the hobbit, the “bay-ay-ay-by.”

Sheep watching fits the family haqqaton. Put the boy where he can’t cause
trouble. Leave him with woolly heads and open skies.

What caused God to pick him? We want to know. We really want to know.

“The Lord does not see as a man sees: for the man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v.7)

Those words were written for the haqqatons of society, for misfits and
castouts. God uses them all.

Moses ran from justice, but God used him.

Jonah ran from God, but God used him.

Rahab ran a brothel, Samson ran to the wrong woman, Jacob ran in circles,
Ruth ran to a distant land, Elijah ran into the mountains, Sarah ran out of
hope, Lot ran with the wrong crowd, but God used them all.

And David? God saw a teenage boy, serving him in the backwoods of
Bethlehem, at the intersection of boredom and anonymity, and through the
voice of a brother, God called, “David! Come in. Someone wants to see
you.”

God saw what no one else saw: a God-seeking heart. Others measure your
waist size or wallet. Not God. He examines hearts. When he finds one set
on him, he calls it and claims it.

blessings

 

[rlowe]

The Shepherd and Overseer of our souls chose several shepherds in the Bible to turn from being shepherds of sheep to shepherds of God's people.

( Examples: Jacob, Moses, David to name a few. )

 

[stephen]

What caused God to pick him? We want to know. We really want to know.

“The Lord does not see as a man sees: for the man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v.7)

Those words were written for the haqqatons of society, for misfits and
castouts. God uses them all.

The Lord looks at the Heart......Indeed. "What caused God to pick him out" "We want to know"....Seems simple to me. David killed a lion and also killed a bear. And for what reason? David was defending the sheep.......

Such action " defending the sheep" score's highly in the eyes of the great Shepherd of the Sheep. And still does so today.

Many have their eye upon other matters, .......rather than the protection of the sheep. Churches fall apart, sheep are scattered as a result.

“The Lord does not see as a man sees: for the man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v.7)

.................. Always true

 

[Dreamer]

stephen---what you said about shepherds and their flocks excited me! your quote..."such action 'defending the sheep! scores highly in the eyes of the great Shephered of the sheep. Churches fall apart, sheep are scattered as a result."

Ezekiel 34:1,2,4,5 "The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shephereds of Israel: Prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shephereds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals."

I had never read this scripture specifically before, until a godly man came to fix my computer early last November (right before I found talkJesus!!!) His name was Don. At that time, last November, the computer had crashed and I had taken it several places to be fixed to no avail. My husband was still serving in the army in Iraq, and I needed the computer so that hubby and I could Instant Message each other.

As Don worked on my computer that day, I just sat behind him and watched and he asked me a few questions about the church I was a member of at that time. When he got through fixing the computer, Don said, "You have a bible around here?" I said, "yeah" and handed him one that was beside me on the couch.

He opened it to that passage in Ezekiel that I posted above. I had tears rolling down my face. The pastor of that church really had been unfair to me and my husband, and many other people. He didn't treat members well, but he seemed to do it in secret so that deacons and others wouldn't know. I barely had told Don anything about it, but the Holy Spirit started speaking through him. He prayed with me, too, before he left.

I talked to Jim online (cause Don had fixed the computer!) and told him I wanted to look for another church for us. He said go ahead. We are now happy in a church where I went to when I was single. They love my hubby and daughter and son. And the pastor even likes me!

Praise God! I am so glad for pastors everywhere and for people like Chad who minister to the sheep.