“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).
It is told that in 1808, a depressed man was wandering the streets of Manchester. He noticed a medical office sign and decided to go in and find a cure for his spirits. He explained to the physician that he could not understand why he was full of fear and terror. He also suffered from symptoms of melancholy that prevented him from enjoying life. The doctor told him: “Your illness isn’t fatal. You need to laugh and find satisfaction in the simple things in life.”
“And what can I do, doctor? Asked the patient.
The doctor advised him:
“You don’t need medication; what you need is someone to cheer you up. Go to the Grimaldi clown show tonight. They say he is the funniest man in the world.
He will heal you.”
The patient’s reply was surprising:
“Don’t joke with me, doctor! I am Grimaldi!”
Joseph Grimaldi 91778-1837) was an actor of Italian origin, born in London into a family of comedians. The public knew him by his nickname, joey. He played such a relevant role as a comic and a clown that the spectators of his generation would call any harlequin “Joey.” During his lifetime, he experienced many emotional highs and lows. Nevertheless, his physical appearance was that of a happy and cheerful man. Our outward appearance does not always correspond to what’s really going on inside. GOD knows the true essence of our being, our potential and our character. Today’s verse makes it clear: The prophet Samuel had to anoint the future King Israel and laid eyes on a handsome and tall young man (1 Samuel. 16.6). But God had to remind him not to look at “his appearance or at his physical stature. “Even people of impeccable character, such as the prophet Samuel, are not capable of judging what is inside other people.
Our self-esteem is fundamentally formed by what other tells us and their attitude toward us. But their judgment is wrong since it is based on purely external observations.
Today, try to place yourself in God’s hands so He can refine you and grant you “a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Pet. 3:4).