But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. – 2 Chronicles 16:9
Not too long ago a couple of good friends came over to our home and helped cut a large maple branch which was hanging precariously over the corner of our house. Afterward, we discovered something that none of us could see in the outward appearance of the tree.
In the heart of the wood was a fascinating design of Christ crucified – see above photo. (Being held next to the center of this cut-off branch is a page from a magazine I had kept from years ago for a possible wood-working project).
If you look closely at the heart of the branch, you can see the design of a cross within the image.
I find this fascinating, and a remarkable example of the above Scripture verses. My friends and I did indeed look at the outward appearance of the tree, but saw nothing noteworthy. Yet there was something extraordinary inside, and we were totally clueless as to what was at the heart of this tree, even though we thought we could see everything clearly from where we stood. Another good example of this is found in my post Mountain Treasures III – Hidden Treasures and Cottonwood Trees.
It can be sobering to know that God sees our hearts and knows our thoughts. Yet if, as the above Scriptures point out, our heart is loyal (committed, devoted) to Him, we are in a really good place. For He promises to show Himself strong on our behalf if our heart is right before Him. And I like that a lot, because I can always use His help any time I can get it!
If you are not sure how to your own personal relationship with the God Who knows everything about you, please see Got God?
Hope you have a great day. And keep an eye out for those hidden treasures.