But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have rejected him. For God does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

—1 Samuel 16:7

I’m sure we all see handsome men every day and think about how good-looking they are. It is often the outward appearance that makes us notice a person. Sometimes, we just catch a glimpse of them. You might see a guy running shirtless as you’re driving down the street. I love to people-watch. It’s always nice when you see an attractive person. Like most of us, I enjoy eye candy. Considering the pictures I post, that should be obvious. But, how often have you met a really attractive person, and they have a terrible attitude or personality. 

People too often judge the character and worth of someone by their outward appearance. If a person is tall, good-looking, well-built, and tastefully dressed, then he possesses physical qualities that we generally admire and respect. I personally love a guy with good hair and a nice smile. A nice behind isn’t too bad either. People often look at these beautiful people and seek them as leaders, if nothing else than leaders in fitness or fashion. Whatever we see outwardly in a person, God has the unique ability to see inside a person. God knows our true character because he “looks at the heart.”

In 1 Samuel 16, the time had come for Samuel to go to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint Israel’s next king. As Samuel looked at Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, Samuel was impressed with what he saw and said in 1 Samuel 16:6,  “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” But God told Samuel in the next verse, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have rejected him. For God does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Saul, Israel’s first king, was tall and handsome. Samuel may have been looking for someone like Saul, and Eliab’s appearance was said to be quite striking. But God had a different man in mind to anoint as Israel’s king. The Lord had earlier revealed to the prophet in 1 Samuel 13:14 that “The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart.” Samuel looked at all seven of Jesse’s older sons, but the Lord rejected them all as His choice for king. God was looking for one who had a faithful heart. David, Jesse’s youngest son, whom they had not even bothered to call, was out tending the sheep. After Samuel passed over the other sons, they sent for David, and the Lord said in 1 Samuel 16:12 “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” David was God’s choice—imperfect but faithful, a man after God’s heart. Although the Bible says in the first part of 1 Samuel 16:12 that David was “ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking,” David was not considered a striking figure. But David had developed a heart after God. In his time alone in the fields, shepherding the flocks, David had come to know God as his Shepherd (see Psalm 23).

Appearances can be deceiving. The outward appearance doesn’t reveal what people are really like. Physical looks don’t show us a person’s value, character, integrity, or faithfulness. Outward qualities are, by definition, superficial. Moral and spiritual considerations are far more important to God and should be more important to us. God looks at the heart. The heart in the Bible is a person’s inner, moral, and spiritual life. Proverbs 4:23 explains, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” The heart is the core, the inner essence of who we are. Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” God knows our true selves, and His perspective is higher, deeper, and wiser than ours.

King David was far from perfect. He committed adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11). But God saw in David a man of deep, abiding faith who was wholly committed to the Lord. We do not have to be perfect to be a faithful Christian. In David, God saw a man who would depend on the Lord for strength and guidance. God saw a man who would recognize his sin and failure and who would repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness. God saw in David a man who loved his Lord; a man who worshiped his Lord with all his being; a man who experienced God’s forgiveness, and came to understand the depths of God’s love for him. God saw a man with a sincere and personal relationship with his Creator. When God looked at the heart of David, He saw a man after His own heart. Acts 13:22 says, “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’”

Like Samuel, we can’t see what the Lord sees, and we must rely on Him for wisdom. And we can trust that, when God looks at our hearts, He sees our faithfulness, our true character, and our value as individuals. Sometimes, a person’s outer appearance doesn’t match their inner appearance. Then again, he might just be having a bad day. The point is, that we can’t judge a person by their appearance. We shouldn’t be judging people at all. God is who sees who we truly are. The inner person often comes out in someone when it is too late to see how rotten they are inside. Hate and misery will rot a person from the inside, but love and happiness will allow our inner beauty to shine, no matter what our outward appearance shows.