Saturday, January 12, 2013
By: Brandon Bilbo |
1 Samuel 16:7 "...The Lord does not look at the things
people look at. People look at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart." |
The grocery store is conveniently located between my house and my office. Consequently, I make many stops after work to pick up that "one thing" that dinner always seems to hinge on. Now, unless my wife sends me a photo of the label of the specific product that she wants, there is a good chance that she'll be making spaghetti with a jar of salsa (clear glass jars with red sauce and tomatoes...it all looks the same to me!).
Labels are very important when shopping. They show us the intended purpose for a product. If you were to examine your life, how would you say that YOU are labeled? Would those labels TRULY reflect the INTENDED purpose for your life? You see, we are quick to judge based on a hasty glance of what we see with our eyes, but the Lord says that while people look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart. I believe that most people have been MISLABELED. Could you imagine sprinkling cumin instead of cinnamon on your french toast because the container was mislabeled?That would certainly ruin your entire dish!
So many people place limitations on their lives because of the words others have spoken to them, and they accept that as their intended purpose. In addition, people put labels on themselves based off of past mistakes. People labeled David in the Bible as many things. His family labeled him as insignificant and weak, his wife labeled him as undignified and even today, people label him as an adulterer because of mistakes he made. However, scripture tells us that God labeled David as courageous and as a man after God's own heart AND crowned him King! David passionately sought after God daily regardless of how others-including those CLOSEST to him-labeled him.
I challenge you today to seek God with your WHOLE heart. Rip off the labels that anyone other than God has placed on you and pursue HIS intended purpose for your life!
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Dear Lord, I thank You that You see the very best in me! Please heal the wounds in my life where I have allowed the words or hurts of others or myself to dictate who I am. Help me to be an encourager to those in my life that they may see Your label for them as well.
I thank You Jesus for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life. In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen |