I love the classic Bible stories.

You know, the ones everyone learned in Wee Worship as a little kid.

This week’s passage comes from one of those classic stories, the one where Samuel selects David as king over Saul.

And as familiar as we might be with it, there is an important truth hidden in it.

Take a look at the verse for this week. It’s 1 Samuel 16:7:

Saul was selected as king for the nation of Israel when they complained that they weren’t like the other nations, when they rejected God as their king.

Saul looked like a king. He was tall and commanding. People automatically looked to him because of his stature.

Not so with David. He was small, young, and, well, normal looking.

David wasn’t someone anyone would associate with kingship, at least not at first blush.

And yet, he turned out to be Israel’s greatest leader.

The reason for this is because God knows what’s in the heart of a person. We tend to look at the externals; but God sees the internal. God looks at the heart.

As a result, this week’s passage should challenge us to not judge the book by its cover, or the people we see by just what we see.

Because we can’t see their heart.

How can you refrain from judging by external appearances? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.