God Sees Your Heart
By: Lia Martin
The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7
If there’s one thing following Jesus has taught me, it’s that I’m a follower. A sheep. A disciple, and not a King. How wonderful it is that God is not looking for our ‘good looks,’ regalia, or strength—but rather is calling forth our hearts.
Even though I’ve stuck this verse along with others to my computer monitor, I still have only a meek understanding of the 1 Samuel story where these treasured words are nestled. Does that happen with you as well? Through the years of Bible studies and sermons, do you scoop out verses that capture your heart in the moment? Each can become a banner for a season...as the specific story details fade.
I’m thinking God knows this tendency. And you can lean on the grace of knowing that the purposes of those well-timed verses are already woven into your life. Consider them a repositioning of your heart. Open invitations to return to His word.
So as I return to this section of biblical history, I remember that powerfully handsome brothers were being overlooked in search of the anointed one. And the one who God is appointing in this particular recruitment, in 1 Samuel 16, may not ‘look’ the part. Yet God had His eye on a particular heart, for a particular calling. A little shepherd boy that no one esteemed. However, the approval of his peers and siblings wasn’t on God’s agenda.
I want to encourage you, today, as well, that God sees the beauty (and the mess) inside of you. We all know that although David had a ‘heart for God,’ he managed to make a mess of things sometimes. And yet he returned and repented relentlessly, pouring out his heart in music and psalms.
What a beautiful thing God has made in fashioning your heart just the way He did. And I don’t mean the blob of muscle; although that’s a miracle so extraordinary, I can’t fathom the divinity. I mean your passions, your peculiarities, your personhood. What moves your soul, lights your fire, calls you to love your neighbor.
Whatever that is, sweet friend, please know it is God’s great design. And He not only knows what He made; He sees even the things you want to hide. He loves the things you may think others find unlovable. And He is rejoicing over you in song (Zephaniah 3:17).
So when today’s world of comparison and trends chokes your joy, leaving you wondering how you measure up, remember 1 Samuel 6:17. Even if the story details fall away, I believe God wanted you to know: He sees your heart. Your beautiful, caring, imperfect, faithful, one-of-a-kind heart. ‘Broken vessels’ (even if they’re in your eyes and legs) are sacred to Him, especially when He sees you inviting Him to choose you every day.
Lia Martin celebrates seeing God in wildflowers, hiking, poetry, and her beloved daughter and son. Her book, Wisdom at Wit’s End explores how to simplify the pressures of parenting-to-perfection and to let God lead instead.
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Tuesday, 24 January 2023.
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