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bigmike

DAILY DEVOTION
Revealed
And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
1 Samuel 17:27-28
God does not evaluate people and their fitness for His work based on their outward attributes. What seems to human observers like the perfect person for a job may not measure up to what God knows about how they truly are on the inside. When God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse's sons as the king who would replace Saul, Samuel quickly focused on the oldest. He was the most physically impressive of the group, yet he was not God's choice. "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).
We see Eliab's internal failing on display in the story of Goliath. Eliab heard the challenge of the giant, but he did not respond in courage and faith. He was not outraged that this Philistine warrior was blaspheming against the God of Israel. His anger flared instead when his little brother David asked why Goliath was going unchallenged. He falsely accused David of abandoning the family's sheep so he could see the battle and acting in pride. Eliab's failure was not caused by the threat of Golaith and David's response, but it was revealed. When we face challenges and battles in life, the thing that matters most is not whether we measure up to someone's idea but whether we are seeking and trusting God from the heart. Others may see our physical attributes or developed skills-or the lack of them, but God sees our heart.
The heart that is pursuing after and trusting in God will be equipped to face the challenges of life with confidence in God.
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