The Heart of the Matter 问题的核心

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Dexu Xia

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Sep 22, 2026, 8:49:00 PMSep 22

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People look at the outward appearance,  but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Today's Scripture 1 Samuel 16:6-12

Today's Insights When Samuel saw Jesse’s son Eliab, he assumed that “the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 16:6) stood before him, for he was strong, impressive, and outwardly fit for kingship. Yet God interrupted Samuel’s confident judgment with a sobering truth: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at” (v. 7). We can sometimes be quick to measure others based on outward appearance, to mistake confidence for calling and stature for faithfulness. But God searches deeper: “[He] looks at the heart” (v. 7). He alone understands the full story within each person, and He’s the only righteous judge. The apostle Paul says that “when the Lord comes,” He’ll “bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart” (1 Corinthians 4:5). Today, when we’re tempted to judge others, God can help us entrust judgment to Him, who sees the heart.

Today's Devotion On a teaching trip to Moscow, I decided to take the subway to get lunch. Standing in the subway car, I started whistling simply because I felt good after an enjoyable morning teaching and the day was pleasant. The passengers stared at me like I was insane. When I got back to the school, I told one of the office workers that the people were so discouraged and downhearted they stared when I whistled. She politely informed me, “Yes, their lives are very hard, but that isn’t why they stared. They stared because it’s rude to whistle in public here.”

When we make assumptions, we base them on external factors that may not have any bearing on the moment. It’s helpful to recall the story of David’s selection as future king of Israel. As the prophet Samuel considered Jesse’s eldest son, he thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord” (1 Samuel 16:6). But God told Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v. 7).

Basing judgments on appearances will lead to wrong conclusions. We do well to let God do the judging. He sees the heart of the matter.

Reflect & Pray How do you feel when someone makes wrong assumptions  about you? Why is it so easy to make assumptions about others?

Wise Father, please forgive me for judging people’s motives when I don’t know the truth about their hearts. Help me to entrust such judgments to You.

By Bill Crowder

“人是看外貌，上帝是看内心。"撒母耳记上 16章7节

今日经文：撒母耳记上 16章6-12 节

今日感悟：当撒母耳看到耶西的儿子以利押时，他以为“耶和华的受膏者”（撒母耳记上 16:6）就站在自己面前，因为此人强壮、威武，外表看起来很适合做君王。然而，神打断了撒母耳那自信的判断，指出一个发人深省的真理：“耶和华不像人看人”（第7节）。我们有时会急于根据外表来评判他人，误将自信视为呼召，将体格高大视为忠心。但神洞察更深之处：“[上帝]是看内心”（第7节）。唯有祂了解每个人内心深处的全部故事，也唯有祂是公义的审判者。使徒保罗说，当主来的时候，祂要“照出暗中的隐情，显明人心的意念”（哥林多前书 4:5）。今天，当我们想要评判他人时，神能帮助我们将审判交托给那位洞察人心的主。

今日灵修：有一次在莫斯科进行教学访问时，我决定乘地铁去吃午饭。站在车厢里，我开始吹起口哨，纯粹是因为上午的教学很愉快，心情很好，而且那天天气也不错。乘客们盯着我看，好像我是个疯子。回到学校后，我告诉一位办公室职员，说人们看起来那么沮丧消沉，以至于我吹口哨时他们都盯着我看。她礼貌地告诉我：“是的，他们的生活确实很艰难，但他们盯着你看并不是因为那个。他们盯着看，是因为在这里，公共场合吹口哨是不礼貌的。”

当我们做出推断时，往往基于一些与当下情境毫无关系的外部因素。回想大卫被选为以色列未来君王的故事，会很有帮助。当先知撒母耳审视耶西的长子时，他心想：“耶和华的受膏者必定站在耶和华面前了”（撒母耳记上 16:6）。但神对撒母耳说：“不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，因为我已弃绝了他。耶和华不像人看人：人是看外貌，耶和华是看内心”（7节）。

凭外表作判断往往会导致错误的结论。我们最好把评判的事交给神，因为祂能洞察事物的本质与人的内心。

反思与祷告：当别人对你产生错误的猜测时，你有何感受？为什么我们总是很容易对他人妄下定论？

充满智慧的天父，请宽恕我，因我不了解他人的内心实情，却妄自评判他们的动机。求祢帮助我将这些评判的事交托给祢。