4 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

1 Samuel 9-11
Luke 18:1-23

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

1 Samuel 9:2 (CSB): “He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

As we are introduced to the man who would be Israel’s first king, we are told he was “an impressive man.” Alone, that tells us nothing. So, the writer continues: “There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he.” Again, we have no idea what the writer is talking about.

Saul is “impressive,” but what in the world does that mean? The answer is given at the end of verse 2.

1 Samuel 9:2 (CSB): “… He stood a head taller than anyone else.”

So that’s it?! That’s what made the Israelites see Saul as “impressive.” He was tall! Really?!

If you are familiar with the story of Saul’s life, you realize he was a disappointment. He wasn’t a good leader, and he ended up developing a bad case of paranoia. He even tried to kill his own son. He was a pitiful excuse for a king and a national embarrassment to Israel. But at least the Israelites valued the distance from the top of his head to the soles of his feet!

When you think about it, we are often just as superficial in our assessments of others. If someone is tall, we value them and tend to respect them more than someone who is short (who has to really work hard to be respected). If someone is attractive, we value them more than someone who is unattractive. If someone is … just keep going. There are all sorts of attributes that someone is born with and never had to work for that cause others to value them a little more readily than those without those attributes.

Is that the right way to value people? Should we be so superficial?

If you are a Christian, the answer to those questions is a resounding “No!” We value people for very different reasons.

First, we value ALL people because they are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). So, no matter what gender someone is, what color they are, what religion they are, how smart they are, how wealthy they are … or how tall they are … a biblical worldview causes us to value ALL people because every single person is created in God’s image. That means that every single person has intrinsic value that cannot be taken away from them.

Second, we look to God and learn that a person’s character is much more important than just about anything else. Who someone is in their heart (who they are when no one is watching) is much more important than anything they do.

1 Samuel 16:7 (CSB): “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the LORD sees, for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.'”

Finally, competency is incredibly important. The Israelites didn’t consider whether Saul had the skills to make him a good king. They were too impressed with how tall he was. When God looks for people to use, He looks for people who are competent, or people He can make competent in what He has called them to do.

So, we should value all people and see each and every person as a special creation of God with intrinsic value. Then, when we are looking for someone to fill a specific role (fortunately, we aren’t looking for a king), we look first for character and then competency. If the Israelites had done this, they wouldn’t have made the horrible mistake of installing Saul as the first King of Israel.

Let’s not be so superficial in our assessment of others by valuing what isn’t really that important and overlooking the things that truly are important.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you see others the way God sees them.
  • Ask God to help you not look down on anyone.
  • Is there someone you have mistreated or devalued that you need to make amends with?

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into the even greater value that Christians have in Christ, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“Does the Bible say anything about self-worth?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)