But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
On a certain day, Samuel the prophet went to the house of Jesse to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to become king of Israel. As soon as Samuel saw Eliab, Jesse’s first son, he said, “Behold, the Lord’s anointed is before Him,” and wanted to anoint Eliab to be the king. But God stopped Samuel and said, “I have refused him.”
God didn’t say, “I have not chosen him”; if He had said so, that would have been rather okay, because He had the right to choose whomever He wanted to be king. However, He said, “I have rejected him,” meaning that He considered Eliab and found him unsuitable.
God must have seen something in his heart that made him unfit to be king; none of his other brothers were chosen either. David, who at the time was tending his father’s sheep, was then sent for, and as soon as he arrived, God said, “Samuel, get up and anoint him, this is he” (1 Samuel 16:6-12).
What did God see in David? Why did God want him? The answer is in God’s remarkable testimony of David in Acts 13:22. He said, “…I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, who shall fulfil all my will.”
David was a man whose heart was after God. Some of his actions may not have been perfect, but his heart was perfect towards God. Your heart is so important to God; that’s where He seeks to work. He said, “My son, give me thine heart and let thine eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26).
You must watch your heart and serve God with a perfect heart. A perfect heart is one that seeks after God and wants to please Him always; a heart that’s after His Word. Your attitude to God and to service in His Kingdom must be inspired by and reflect His love. Examine yourself with the Word continually, and be sure there’s no root of bitterness, malice, or anger in your heart.
But I, GOD, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be (Jeremiah 17:10 MSG).
There are remarkable instances in Scripture that help us understand that the Lord indeed tests men’s hearts. Consider the story of David, how God chose him from the house of Jesse, and the very significant rejection of his brother, Eliab.
Eliab, from the outward appearance, was everything you’d want in a leader. The moment he showed up, and Samuel the Prophet saw him, he said, “…Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him” (1 Samuel 16:6).
However, the Bible says, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, LOOK NOT ON HIS COUNTENANCE, OR ON THE HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE; BECAUSE I HAVE REFUSED HIM…for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Notice the Lord’s choice of words; He didn’t say, “Don’t anoint Eliab, for I have not chosen him.” If He had said that, it would mean Eliab wasn’t even considered in the first place. But the Lord said, “I have refused him.” It means that God considered him and said, “No!” GOD SEES YOUR HEART
Did Eliab ever know that he was considered by God to someday be king over Israel? No! But God considered him and found him wanting. The story of Abraham is another case in point, this time, a positive one because Abraham passed the test.
After years of wanting a child, he and Sarah eventually had a son at their old age. But one day, the Bible says God tested Abraham. He asked him to offer his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:2). God didn’t announce to Abraham, “Hey, I want to test you now,” No! But Abraham demonstrated his faith that God could raise Isaac from the dead, and symbolically, that’s exactly what happened (Hebrews 11:17–19).
He trusted completely in the Lord and obeyed.
You may never know when you’re being tested or considered for the next level of your assignment and promotion. The important thing is for you not to be found wanting. It’s the reason you must walk in faith, hope, and love. Be humble, and always be at your best, not in hypocrisy, but in integrity of heart and in uprightness, for God indeed sees your heart.
God isn’t going to keep or guard your heart perfect before Him for you. The responsibility is yours. But the good news is that you are not helpless as to what to do. You’ve been equipped with all you need to keep your heart perfect before the Lord.
“Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.” – (2 Chronicles 25:1-2).
What we just read is quite interesting. God wasn’t judging the rightness of Amaziah’s action, but the perfection of his heart. His conduct was right; at least God said so, but he lacked the heartiness-the quality of hearty sincerity.
We find another example in 1 Kings 15, with King Asa. 1 Kings 15:14 shows a flaw in his actions, which nevertheless, didn’t dent the perfection of his heart as far as God was concerned. It says, “But the high places were not removed: nevertheless, Asa’s heart was perfect with LORD all his days”.
The foregoing show two people, one whose conduct was right in the sight of God but his heart wasn’t perfect with God; and then another one whose conduct wasn’t perfect, but his heart was perfect with the Lord.
Here’s an imperfect heart (Amaziah) doing perfect things, and a perfect heart (Asa) doing imperfect things. But God called Abraham to a higher quality of perfection when He said, “…walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Genesis 17:1); He was asking for the perfection that works from within; perfection of the heart that produces perfect actions.
That’s what we have in Christ; you were born perfect after Him, with a perfect heart that produces righteousness. He’s given you that perfection of the heart (that Perfection of the spirit). Believe it; affirm it, and act accordingly.
Live from your heart, manifesting His virtues and perfections in you to your world; “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 AMPC).
Elijah was just like any other human being who had feelings and affections. The Bible says he prayed that there would be no rain, and the earth went without rain for three and a half years. He prayed again, and the heavens supplied rain. How was he able to do it? The Bible says in James 5:17 that he prayed earnestly.
The earnest prayer of a righteous man produces results. Some good definitions for the word “earnest” are “to be intent and direct in purpose,” “to be zealous or fervent, marked by a deep feeling of conviction.” The Classic Amplified version of the Bible goes further to explain it as, “heartfelt” and “continued.” In other words, an earnest prayer is a sustained kind of prayer that is marked by a deep feeling of conviction. It’s not the kind of prayer you pray at the dining table or in a hurry!
Now, you can begin to understand the kind of prayer Elijah prayed. He didn’t just pray once and give up. He continued seriously in prayer with a deep feeling of conviction. Many people don’t pray this way yet expect to get the kind of results Elijah got.
You need to learn how to pray earnestly in private so that you can have the power of the Holy Ghost work on your behalf publicly. Before Elijah told King Ahab that there would be no rain in the land, he’d already talked to the Lord and “settled” the matter (James 5:17). He prayed earnestly and continued until he got the answer!
Have you prayed earnestly and continued long enough to get answers? Don’t give up now that you’re so close to getting them! Get up and continue in earnest prayer, for the earnest prayer of the righteous man always works!
–GSW–