By What Appearance

"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 ).

This young Robin is learning the skill of preening its feathers and spends a lot of time in this activity.  The birds' feathers are important for flying, body temperature, protection from the environment, and even for courtship.  Without feathers, they could not survive, so it is a vital part of their nature to pay careful attention to their grooming.

We are taught good grooming practices from the time we are young.  Taking care of our bodies is God-pleasing and essential to our good health and to our relationships.  Unfortunately, we live in a superficial world where people judge each other by their looks. The temptation is to put too much emphasis on outward appearances.

God doesn't focus on our outward appearance. It is what's on the inside--the condition of our "heart"--that matters most to Him. He focuses on developing our inner beauty so that He is reflected in our lives by what we think, say and do.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is vain: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" (Proverbs 31:30).

"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror" (James 1:23).