Understanding the heart of others

1 Samuel 16:6-12 (NLT)
6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” 7 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.” 8 Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.” 9 Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.” 10 In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” 12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”

These passages describe God’s selection of David as the future king of Israel. God gave instructions to Samuel to select one of Jesse’s sons, but he did not know which one until the Lord spoke to him. At first Samuel went by appearances thinking Eliab should be king, but Samuel was wrong. God was looking at the heart and soul of the person He was going to select as king, while Samuel was looking at the outward appearance.

God knew David’s character even saying that He sought out David because he was a man after His own heart. God wanted a king that desired to follow God. Yet David was not a perfect man. David lived under some tough conditions as a child, which affected his life. He was often left as a young child to defend the sheep against wild animals. His older brothers were always put ahead of him. Even above we see that Jesse his own father failed to include him in the selection for king. David was mistreated by King Saul and Saul even attempted to kill David. These trials are traumatic events in any child’s life. And while these trials made David stronger they also weakened some areas of his life. David did not do well with relationships. He committed adultery. He failed his children in several areas. Yet God understood the true nature of David’s heart despite the impacts made upon David’s life. Often we see someone who commits a moral failure and we are quick to believe they have no morality and they are unscrupulous. However God sees the whole person. God knows what the person has been through in their life. God sees their heart and knows if they are committed to Him even though they fell to the temptation of sin; for they will repent and ask God for forgiveness. When we see those who fail us in life try to see them as God sees them. Are they normally someone who is seeking God? Have they been through difficulties and challenges which made life challenging? Are they willing to repent and seek help and guidance for their failure? These are some ways we can know the heart of a person. Look past appearances and use the wisdom of God to understand others.