Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison. Today's scripture offers us a wiser way of being human as we step into the day.

We are trained almost from birth to evaluate the outside of other people, the resume, the appearance, the confidence someone projects when they walk into a room,

and most of us have at some point been on the wrong end of that kind of evaluation.

Sometimes we're noticed, but often we're overlooked.

And over time, those moments start to tell a story about us.

Today's passage looks at one of these moments where even a

trusted leader misread what mattered and what it means that God sees something entirely

different. Today's scripture is for Samuel 16, 1 through 12 selected verses. The Lord said to Samuel,

I'm sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I've chosen one of his

sons to be king. Samuel did what the Lord said. When they arrived at Bethlehem, Samuel saw Elieb and

thought, surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord. 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 people look at. People look at

the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel,

but Samuel said,

the Lord has not chosen these. So he asked Jesse, are these all the sons you have?

There is still the youngest, Jesse answered. He is tending the sheep. So he sent for him and had him brought in. Then the Lord said, rise and anoint him. This is the one. I want to step into this story for a

moment. A powerful leader is sent here to identify the next king. He walks into a home full of strong,

impressive candidates. And the first one appears tall, commanding exactly what you would

expect. And immediately, he assumes this must be the one. It's such a human moment, because we do

this all the time. We make meaning based on what we can see. Who seems confident, who speaks well,

who carries themselves with ease. And just as quickly,

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