Scripture:

‘The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' (1 Samuel 16 v 7)

Reflection:

Some people ‘wear their heart on their sleeve’ - it means that they do not hide their feelings. The heart is not only where our feelings come from, it is also where our motives lie. Perhaps we might say our heart is our conscience - it guides our thoughts and instructs us how to act. It is a sobering thought that God does not see first our thoughts or our actions - He sees what we keep hidden in our hearts - our motives and our desires. He sees all that is unseen. People living in biblical times knew this - perhaps that is why a psalmist prayed ‘Create in me a clean heart, O Lord’, - a heart free of my own motives and desires, and replace them with yours.

Vicki Young