Our presidents are subconsciously picked by their height and presidential appearance. We will knowingly or unknowingly gravitate towards people of stunning appearance. The reliance on visual appeal affects us in all walks of life and even at the pulpit.

Yet the Lord God does not consider a person’s outward appearance. Rather the Lord looks deep into a person’s mind and heart to see who they really are. Based on the inward appearance the Lord will pass His judgement. The book of 1 Samuel teaches us this principal of the Lord’s.

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

David was young when Samuel came to his family looking for the heir to the kingdom of Israel. Being young he was not fully grown and therefore was not the tallest and may not have had a awe inspiring look as he tended his father’s sheep. The Lord saw passed David’s dirty youthful looks and saw what he would become.

Israel’s first king, Saul, was tall, strong, and handsome. Everyone that saw him recognized him as fitting for their king. Inevitably Saul’s inner weaknesses and ugliness came to the forefront and the Lord rejected him because of his disobedience. Hence Samuel seeking out David to be the new king.

The Lord was never happy with the appointing of kings over Israel as He was to be recognized as their master and campion. God lead them to the promised land and gave them victory over their enemies. No man could have done that with such odds against them. It was an insult of the highest form that Israel wanted a king similar to what their neighboring countries had.

Like everything though, the Lord used this wickedness to lay the groundwork for His son, Jesus, to come into the world in the line of King David’s descendants. Just as before, Jesus would not be what the Israelites expect Him to be in appearance. The book of Isaiah speaks to this.

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Jesus, according to scripture, was not kingly or very handsome in appearance. Even so, He persuaded peoples with His wisdom, sense of authority, and gentleness. If those attributes were not enough then His miracles gave Him undeniable strength in peoples minds. His inner pureness and beauty transcended his physical appearance shining a spiritual allure that brought multitudes to Him.

Jesus died on the cross for our transgressions. He rose from the grave and took His place at the righthand of God the Father Almighty. There and in His true form, Jesus is a beauty that no human would be able to take their eyes off of. Perfection and majesty are His as given to Him by His Father.

Do not be persuaded by people outward attributes. Look to their inner appearance and then weigh what they say and do. In other words, do not be mislead to sin by what you see. Amen!