Sustenance #5 – Looking Inside

God sees not as humans see; people look at the outward appearance, but the Eternal looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

When Michelangelo was looking for the block of marble from which to carve the David statue, he viewed several pieces that were not right. He came to a large block that had been rejected by the cutters and set aside as useless. The great artist saw something in that block that the cutters missed. All he had to do was remove the material that was inappropriate and extract the David that was hidden inside. When God chose David to be king over his Israel, everyone around saw only a scruffy, smelly, short shepherd, too young to be trusted with such a great responsibility. But God saw something else. “The Eternal sought out a man after his own heart, and the Eternal has appointed him as ruler over his people.” The person whose heart is in tune with God’s is one whom God sees “will do all my will.” Then the Lord uses a process similar to Michelangelo’s to chip away the junk and expose the beauty of what he saw inside. Indeed, today God continues to search the earth for those whose hearts are completely his, precisely so that he might support them while he labors to expose such beauty to a needy world.

Creator God, make my heart like David’s. Cause me to delight to do your will, and then clean up what people see so that your wisdom and skill will be fully appreciated. Amen.