A bEauty queen

"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 Samuel 16:7).

A couple years ago, I began to mentor a woman who once was a Beauty Queen. She

spent much of her childhood dieting, training, and going to beauty pageants. I learned that

the life of a Beauty Queen is everything but beautiful. The constant pressure of others

focusing on her outer appearance takes its toll on the individual. Instead of concentrating

on being all God made her to be inside and out, she found herself in bondage to what others

thought of her. She could never find peace in who she was created to be. Instead, there

was a constant pressure to be someone others wanted her to be and it was impossible to

live up to this "perfect" standard.

How about the new King of Israel, King David? God had sent the prophet Samuel on

a mission to go to Jesse of Bethlehem and anoint one of his sons to be the king.

Interestingly, God did not tell Samuel which son, He just told him to go and God would

show him whom to choose. When Samuel saw the first son, Eliab, he thought he was the

chosen one. But God told him NOT to consider his appearance or his height for God had

rejected him. Then the Lord spoke the above profound words: "Man looks at the outward

appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

David, this young boy with ruddy, fine features was God's chosen one to be Israel's

King. We see him as the most emotional communicator of all the writers of the Scriptures.

He has an intimate walk with God that inspires many of us to draw closer to the Lord. We

can all find comfort, hope, strength and forgiveness from God as we read the life stories of

David's failures, sins, temptations, struggles, leadership, victories, passions, and suffering.

Yes, God looked at David's heart and knew he was to be the one from whom the Son of

David would come. Like David, God has a specific plan to use you, just the way He made

you, to fulfill His plans on this earth to bless others and bring glory to His name. Give

thanks to Him today for making you the way you are, inside and out!

-Excerpt from Sue Corl's book, More Beautiful by the Day