Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

"When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, 'Surely the Lord's anointed [for king] stands here before the Lord.' But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"¹

Today's society, at least here in America, places tremendous emphasis on physical appearanceâ€"for both men and women. If, for example, two men of equal qualifications apply for the same job, the tallest man is most likely to be appointed.

Carlos Romulo, a Foreign Secretary of the Philippines, is only 1.626 meters (approximately 5'4"). He was very self-conscious about his height until he visited Tussaud's Wax Museum in London and discovered that he was 50 millimeters (2 inches) taller than Napoleon Bonaparte (who became known as "the little corporal"). He promptly discarded his elevated shoes.

William Wilberforce was another small man. He was known for his eloquence and, in 1780 at the age of twenty-one, entered the British Parliament. Six years later he joined Thomas Clarkson and began his fight against slavery even though the bill to end the slave trade didn't become law until 1807â€"twenty-one years later. More than any other person, Wilberforce helped end the British slave trade.

Often in life many of the great achievements have been accomplished by those who have had a serious setback, a major limitation or handicap, or a significant failure of one kind or another, but have overcome their defect and risen above their circumstances to achieve the worthwhile goals they had set for themselves.

With God's help you and I can do the same. It's not our outward appearances that God looks on. He sees our heart and wants us to use the gifts we have been givenâ€"not the gifts that others have.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I'm available for you to use. Help me to see and believe in myself as you do and set to work to fulfill my God-given life purpose. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Samuel 16:6-7 (NIV).

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