Nancy Hughes: Not much to look at

“All those who were in distress or in debt or
discontented gathered around him, and
he became their leader. About four
hundred men were with him.”
I Samuel 22:2 (NIV)

Going to a Christian concert to hear a favorite group can be a fantastic blessing but imagine hearing not one but six Christian groups at one concert! That’s what I got to do several years ago.

Each group’s performance seemed to build the momentum for the next one. The music was spirit-filled and beautiful. The crowd was more than pleased as one group after another took the stage. My friends and I couldn’t help but critique the outfits each group wore.

At that time it was the “in” thing to perform with the same costumes so everyone had color-coordinated outfits. One group even had very similar hair styles. We would watch as each group took its turn setting up the stage with guitars, drums and a piano in preparation for their performance.

They had the “look” of professionals and applause would break out even before they began to sing. Anticipation grew as the last group came on stage to perform.

But acknowledgement from the audience came in the form of gasps followed by whispers. This last group didn’t have color-coordinated outfits or hair styles with each hair perfectly in place.

Instead they had long unruly hair and jeans and wrinkled shirts with rolled up sleeves. Some had t-shirts that weren’t even tucked in! And they had on loafers and tennis shoes with no socks! What in the world was going on?

“Just how good can they be?” one person asked. “They look like a bunch of guys who just met outside and decided to form a group at the last minute. Probably not much to listen to” said another.

In today’s Scripture we read about another group of men who seemed to be thrown together. David became in charge of 400 men who did not appear on the surface to “fit in” with the norm of the day - men who, at first glance, seemed to have nothing going for them except a mountain of problems.

But David looked beyond their appearance, beyond their problems and beneath the surface and made them into what they COULD be: tremendous fighting warriors and a huge reason why David was so successful in the battles he led as Israel’s king.
Tell me something: have you ever felt like those 400 men must have felt? Perhaps no one has taken the time to invest in who you really are and the woman that you desire to become as a child of God.

Maybe they have skimmed the surface and haven’t bothered to see your heart, dismissing you as “not much to look at.”

May I suggest that you ask God to use you in a powerful way for His glory? He delights in His children asking Him for guidance and leadership in their lives and He will answer above and beyond anything you can imagine because He loves you deeply!

Oh, and that last group that performed? The five previous groups together did not compare to the strength and beauty of their combined voices as they praised the Lord in jeans, t-shirts, long hair, tennis shoes and no socks.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Father, please mold me into the Godly woman that you want me to be. Thank you for looking into my heart and desiring to use me for your kingdom. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Reflect

Have you ever been treated as though you had nothing to offer the Lord by other Christians?

If so, has this caused you to feel like you have no skills or talents that the Lord can use?

Application

Journal the talents and abilities that you believe you have that the Lord can use.

Spend time in prayer, asking the Lord to guide you to what He wants you to do for Him and listen for His answer.

Power Verses

I Samuel 22:2 (NIV) “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”

I Samuel 16:7 (NIV) “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.”

II Corinthians 10:7 (NIV) “You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he.”

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Nancy Hughes' new book, The Journey Continues: Healing From the Heart, a book that features women sharing their own stories about dealing with widowhood, is available now at Amazon.