21 March | Teens
«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
Have you ever heard the phrase “don't judge a book by its cover”? This means that we shouldn't judge things by their appearance alone. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God teaches us something similar: “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God can see what's inside our hearts, not just what's outside. He even knows the motivations we have!
When Samuel went to choose a new king for Israel, he thought he should anoint someone capable of such a mission. Someone who was a great warrior, strong, experienced, powerful. But God chose David, who was a young shepherd and didn't even look like a king in the eyes of the people. This shows us that God values what is within us: our goodness, our thoughts, our will to do good. He cares about who we are, not what we appear to be. He doesn't just care about how we look, but what we mean. As the well-known hymn would say: God knows what goes on inside the soul. God knows, God hears, God sees.
Take Action
Create a “mystery box” with a hole in it, but in a way that you can't see inside. Put different objects inside and ask others to guess the objects, just by touch. Then reveal the objects and talk about how appearances can be deceiving. This game teaches in a practical way that we shouldn't judge something without having the full conviction of what it really is!