Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
I prepared a nice home-cooked meal for our family on Easter. However, I wimped out on making the dessert when I spotted a dozen beautifully-decorated cupcakes at the store. They looked delicious and my sweet tooth started begging, so I purchased them. After our dinner, I placed the cupcakes on the table and all of the adults “passed.” When I asked why nobody ate one, my honest son-in-law responded, “They’re not homemade.“ (My son and daughter didn’t say a word.) When I tried to eat mine, I knew what Levi meant. The cupcake was really pretty and luscious looking, but the frosting tasted like it was made from used motor oil. I won’t do that again. We’ve all heard that “looks can be deceiving.” Those cupcakes were guilty of first-degree deceit.
Before Saul became king of Israel, he was described as “a choice and handsome man, and there was not a better-looking man among the children of Israel. From his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people“ (1 Samuel 9:2 MEV). The Israelites insisted on having a king like the other nations (which was an insult to God). When the prophet Samuel proclaimed Saul as king, he told the people, “…Truly there is none like him among all the people“ (1 Samuel 10:24 MEV).
King Saul had the outer qualities and looks of a great ruler. And even though he was taller than all the other men, in matters of the heart, he came up short. He failed his first commission by performing the burnt offering instead of waiting for Samuel to offer it. Saul had a tragic long list of disobedience to God, making rash oaths and stupid decisions without seeking God. Saul was jealous, suspicious, paranoid, and afraid of David because God was with him but had departed from Saul. While David was playing music to soothe the king, Saul attempted to pin him to the wall with his spear. Simply stated, King Saul operated in a deranged state. He looked the part of a king, but his heart was an ugly mess.
We often describe people by their outward appearance, e.g., “She’s long, lean, and lanky. He’s tall, dark, and handsome. She‘s ugly as a mud fence. He could stop an eight-day clock.” The Bible specifically describes a giant in 1 Chronicles 20:6 NLT, “there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.” The Bible doesn’t mention it, but I imagine this giant was probably hairy and ugly too.
In matters of the heart, we can often be mistaken about others. People can’t see what’s in your heart — they can only see what you do. Only God truly knows the heart of a man/woman. Nevertheless, we often describe people by their actions, e.g., “She has a good heart. He has a heart the size of a washtub.” The real truth of how handsome or pretty someone is has to do with his/her heart condition. Even though Mom’s gone, I hear her words of wisdom echoing in my mind: “Pretty is as pretty does.” I’m thankful she kept hammering this proverb into my head — which explains why it’s so lumpy.
God alone knows each human heart. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him (Saul). The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart‘” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT). Let’s do our part to have a beautiful heart.
The Key: It’s OK to be hairy and homely as long as your heart is pure and pretty.