“The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
"People look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7.
He wants our hearts in order to Exchange them
In exchange God offers us a heart that is clean, true, tender and warm. Notice he does not offer to patch up the old heart (2 Corinthians 5:17). If you have not done so, will you give Him your old heart and let Him give you His new one?
The Lord means for us to guard our hearts by filtering our emotions, desires, thoughts, and responses through his Word. He is the watchman that protects our souls.
The Bible agrees that God knows your heart. God said to Samuel that He sees not as man sees: “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 ).
So how does God change a stubborn heart? He says: “I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry… I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him” (57:16, 18). It is as if God is saying, “I poured out my judgments on these people.
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.
Once God has your heart, he is able to guide and direct you in every area of your life. There are many examples in the Bible of God working through individuals who had surrendered their hearts to him.
Some people may see visions or hear God's voice. Others may not see or hear anything — but experience feelings of peace and joy that are beyond words. You may experience the presence of God through a song or Scripture the Spirit brings to mind. It may be through a providential encounter with a friend or stranger.
We Are Precious and Honored in His Eyes. In Isaiah 43:4, it says, “Since you are precious and honored in my sight and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.” In God's eyes, we are precious and honored.
In the Bible the heart is considered the seat of life or strength. Hence, it means mind, soul, spirit, or one's entire emotional nature and understanding.
1 Samuel 16:7 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995) But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Genesis 3:5-7 ESV) To have the eyes of our hearts opened means that we are given wisdom and revelation pertaining to the riches of the glorious inheritance we have in Christ. ( Ephesians 1:18) It means that we understand the hope and assurance of our salvation.
John 1:11 says, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” And so He wept. This broke His heart, and it still does. Unbelief and rejection breaks God's heart, because He knows the consequences.
Through Jesus, God heals the broken heart. Isaiah 61:1-3; “The Lord has chosen and sent me to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives..the Lord has sent me to comfort those who mourn.. He sent me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow.”
The spiritual heart has no physical form and so is limitless. It's our connection with the Divine and is like an inner sun, that shines forth Divine Light into all areas of our lives. The spiritual heart is always awake, always ready to light our path to enlightenment.
God tells us that he can change our hearts, and he promises that he will. There is marvelous hope here! Think about what Christ offers you in the gospel.
“Heavenly Father, in Jesus' name, please heal my heart and fill me with joy again. You know I lost my joy because of the things that happened, but I have forgiven the people who hurt me. Now, Father, I need You to restore my heart. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, Father.
But God is stronger than Satan, and even the hardest heart can be overcome by His Spirit. The Bible reminds us that God "is greater than the one who is in the world (Satan)" (1 John 4:4).
Love God with your heart by living a loving, faith-filled, and purpose-driven life. This requires letting God lead the way. It means living each day in close connection with Him so we can recognize our calling. Once we do this, once we let Him lead, lives will be changed.