1 Samuel 16:7 observes the Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Its football season, my favorite sport and my favorite time of year. I am always amazed how fast and how big the players are in this game. The hits they deliver upon each other make me wonder if its really a good idea to play this sport. In football size and speed matter but not as much as heart. Every team has big and fast guys but not every team is filled with guys with great hearts.

We know what this looks like when we see it: giving the extra effort, putting others before self, doing everything we can to win in the right way, being a great winner and loser, etc. The heart factor is what separates the good from the great. It is those with heart that we most admire and esteem.

So too God zeroes in on our hearts when He weighs and measures us. God is not fooled by our church attendance, monies given to charity or friendly smiles in public. God knows us intimately for He created us personally. Therefore we cannot fool Him Who peers into our soul and keeps record of all our thoughts, words and deeds.

Because He knows us so well He came to save us for we have no hope of accomplishing this work in ourselves. It is good news to us that He Who knows us best loves us most and will accept us regardless of the evil we have done or thought about doing.

Yet He does not take us without our first humbling our self before Him. Our first move must be to acknowledge to God that we are in need of a Savior.

We must confess that while we strive on the outside to be perfect on the inside we are far from it. We need to be forgiven and only He Who judges all people can forgive us for all the evil we have thought, said and done.

Those who have great hearts on God’s team are those who confess their sin and move on in peace with God by loving Him and doing His will as best they can with His help.