The Strength of God: According to 1 Samuel 16:7

You know, I used to think I had God all figured out when it came to strength. Growing up, I was that kid who always assumed the biggest, loudest person in the room was automatically the strongest – not just physically, but spiritually too. Man, was I wrong about that.

It wasn’t until I really dug into 1 Samuel 16:7 during a particularly rough patch that everything clicked. The verse says, “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his outward appearance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

I remember reading that and thinking, “Wait, what?” Here was God basically telling Samuel – and by extension, all of us – that His definition of strength is completely backwards from what we’d expect. https://www.rushwalter.com/gods-perspective-on-our-bodies/ Samuel was looking at Jesse’s sons, probably expecting to anoint some towering warrior-type as the next king of Israel. Instead, God chose David, the youngest kid who was out watching sheep.

The context here is crucial, and I’ll be honest, I missed it for years. Samuel had been sent to anoint Israel’s next king from among Jesse’s sons. When Eliab showed up – presumably tall, handsome, looking every bit the part of a king – Samuel was ready to pour that oil right then and there. But God stopped him cold.

This whole scene taught me something profound about divine strength that I’ve carried with me ever since. God’s strength isn’t about physical prowess, impressive resumes, or even religious credentials. https://www.rushwalter.com/how-to-build-a-healthy-body-image-through-faith-ultimate-guide/ It’s about the condition of your heart before Him.

I learned this lesson during a leadership position I took on at my church years ago. I was so focused on appearing strong and having all the answers that I nearly burned out completely. I was operating under the assumption that spiritual strength meant never showing weakness, never admitting I didn’t know something, never letting people see me struggle.

But that’s exactly the opposite of what 1 Samuel 16:7 teaches us. David wasn’t chosen because he was the most impressive option – he was chosen because his heart was aligned with God’s heart. https://www.rushwalter.com/practical-steps-for-developing-a-christ-centered-body-image/ The kid who wrote psalms about his fears, his mistakes, his desperate need for God’s help – that’s who God called strong.

The Hebrew word for “heart” in this passage is “lebab,” which doesn’t just mean emotions or feelings. It encompasses your entire inner being – your thoughts, motivations, desires, and character. https://www.rushwalter.com/understanding-body-image-through-a-biblical-lens/ When God looks at the heart, He’s seeing the totality of who you really are, not the version you present to the world.

Here’s what really gets me about this verse: it completely flips our understanding of qualification and capability. In human terms, we look for experience, education, physical presence, charisma. God looks for faithfulness, humility, and a heart that’s genuinely seeking after Him.

I’ve seen this play out so many times in my own life and in the lives of people around me. The person who ends up having the most profound impact isn’t always the one you’d expect. It’s often the quiet individual who’s been faithfully serving behind the scenes, the one who’s quick to admit their shortcomings, the one who points to God rather than themselves when good things happen.

David’s strength came from his relationship with God, not from his impressive achievements. https://www.rushwalter.com/why-faith-matters-in-healing-our-relationship-with-our-bodies-a-christian-trainers-perspective/ When he faced Goliath later on, he didn’t rely on armor or conventional weapons. He relied on the same God who had helped him protect his sheep from lions and bears. That’s divine strength in action – drawing power from your connection to the Almighty rather than from your own abilities.

The practical application of this truth has been life-changing for me. Instead of trying to impress people with what I can do, I’ve learned to be honest about my limitations and trust God to work through them. It’s actually liberating when you realize that God isn’t looking for perfection – He’s looking for availability.

This doesn’t mean we should be lazy or avoid developing skills and character. David was a skilled musician, a capable shepherd, and eventually became a warrior. But his strength was rooted in something deeper than his abilities. It was rooted in his trust in God’s faithfulness.

When we understand that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness, it changes everything. We stop trying to hide our struggles and start being authentic about our need for Him. https://www.rushwalter.com/the-difference-between-worldly-and-godly-standards-of-beauty-a-christian-trainers-perspective/ We stop competing with others and start focusing on cultivating the kind of heart that God values.

The beauty of this passage is that it gives hope to anyone who’s ever felt overlooked or underqualified. God doesn’t choose people based on human standards of strength or success. He chooses people whose hearts are turned toward Him, regardless of what they look like on paper.

Samuel learned that day that God’s ways truly aren’t our ways. The strength that matters most isn’t visible to human eyes – it’s the quiet confidence that comes from knowing you belong to God and that He can accomplish His purposes through anyone who trusts Him completely.

That’s the kind of strength worth pursuing, and it’s available to anyone willing to let God look past their exterior and transform their heart.

Thank you for reading this fitness blog. I hope you enjoy a healthy, happy day, Walter