The nicest compliment that our parents can receive is when someone says something good about one of their children. Have you ever noticed the eyes of a parent light up as a friend remarked about the wholesome attitudes of their teenage son or daughter? When a child receives an award, or perhaps a scholarship to go on in school, or simply a word of recognition, parental pride goes into orbit.

But what would it be like to hear God give special recognition to one of His own children? This did happen when the Lord sent the prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint a king who would reign over Israel. As the eldest son passed before Samuel, God spoke in the prophet’s ear that this was not the chosen king. God said, “Look not on his countenance; or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart”. I Samuel 16:7

Eliab must have been a good-looking man for Samuel would have anointed him had not God told him otherwise.

As each of the next six sons passed before Samuel, God indicated to him that this was not the one. Finally Samuel asked Jesse if there were any more sons that he had. It seems that David had been left out of the family sacrifice and was outside taking care of the sheep.

When the young man David was brought before Samuel, God told the prophet that this was the one, the one whom God would later describe as “a man after Mine own heart”. A handsome boy, with striking physical features; David also commanded respect for his pleasing personality and stalwart character.

After his anointing, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward”.

Now good looks are usually not considered to be a handicap, they can in fact be a real asset. But there is more, an inner quality, a condition of the heart which God can only see. David’s brothers were all no doubt good-looking men, and from an outward consideration there were perhaps many reasons why one of them would have made a better king than David. But the Lord saw the inner quality of God and because of that, the prophet was instructed to anointed David king.

Today, the world shows just how wicked it has become by its continual emphasis on the outward appearance of man. The world says make yourself as appealing as you can to those around you, especially members of the opposite sex. The world’s entire emphasis is based on that one thought. We are told over and over to but cars, clothes, or whatever, simply because by doing so we will look better.

Of course, we as the Church must be aware that the sinful man can do not different. Not having the new Life of Christ implanted in their hearts, they serve the world of darkness. There is not consideration given to the spiritual, nor indeed can there be. But as young people, we must ever be aware that we are not led by the world’s influence into that sin.

We must remember that as God’s children we must put things in their proper place. Do we spend as much time in the development of our inner strength that we have in Christ Jesus as we spend in how we look on the outside?

Is it as important to us to study God’s Word as it is to have all the latest clothes that are available to us? Do we support the cause of God’s Kingdom here on this earth as willingly as we spend money on ourselves?

We would never consider going to school, to work, or on a date unless we had done some preparation before time so that we looked and felt our best. But, do we spend as much time before the mirror of God’s Word, or in prayer, or in reading the church papers that are available to us, so that inwardly we look and feel our best?

Without any doubt, we find the pleasures of this life more appealing than the things of God’s Kingdom. That, I am afraid, s our constant battle with our sinful flesh. But, that sinful flesh is not something we can hide behind as if we have a ready excuse for the sins and desires of our hearts.

The inner quality of David’s heart was not his because was simply better than anyone else. A study of his life shows that just the opposite was true. But God did indeed give David a rich measure of His grace. God blessed David, but no more than He blesses us. We are only able to enjoy the fruit of our Salvation by the ever-present grace of God in our hearts.

Therefore young people, always be mindful that God does look in our hearts. Do you honestly believe that He likes what He sees?