1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello, thank you for listening to your Daily 2 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: Bible Verse, the podcast that examines one verse each day 3 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: to learn more about God and his will for us. 4 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Carol McCracken, and after a short word 5 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, will dive into today's Bible verse, Verse 6 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: Samuel sixteen seven. Today's Bible verses first Samuel sixteen seven. 7 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks 8 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: at the heart. A few months ago, I had never 9 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: even heard of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Then 10 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: my prayer partner mentioned she was going on a mission 11 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: trip there to serve pilgrims hiking the Comino, and I'll 12 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: be honest with you, first reaction was not spiritual maturity. 13 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 1: I remember teasing her about it and saying something like, so, 14 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: what exactly are you going to do? Hard selled Jesus 15 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: to exhausted people whether they're trying to hike. In my mind, 16 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: I'd already created an entire picture of what this trip 17 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:23,199 Speaker 1: would be like, pushy evangelism, with awkward interactions and forced conversations. 18 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,279 Speaker 1: I had judged an experience I knew absolutely nothing about. 19 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: And then slowly God began convicting me. It wasn't loud 20 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: or dramatic, just that uncomfortable realization that maybe my assumptions 21 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: were revealing more about my own heart than about the 22 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: mission strip itself. Next thing I knew, I felt called 23 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: to go, and what happened after that became one long 24 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: lesson and how wrong our expectations can sometimes be. I 25 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: expected the team to be cliquish because many of them 26 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: attended the same church and already knew one another. I 27 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: imagined walking into an established friends group where I would 28 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: feel awkward and out of place. Instead, the church was 29 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: so large that many of them barely knew each other. 30 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: Within days, we felt like family. I expected sleeping in 31 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: a dorm style hostel with women I didn't know to 32 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: be uncomfortable and stressful. Honestly, I dreaded it a little. 33 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: I pictured sleepless nights, personality conflicts, and awkwardness. Instead, it 34 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: felt like the kind of sweet sisterhood you experienced at 35 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 1: a retreat or even a college sorority house, but centered 36 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:39,239 Speaker 1: around Jesus. Women shared chargers in shampoo, we borrowed jackets 37 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: and medicines and laundry detergent. Someone would notice another person 38 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: looking tired and quietly step into help. We laughed late 39 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: at night, encouraged one another, great from one another, and 40 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: we became sisters in Christ very quickly. One woman on 41 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: her zoom training cause especially taught me a lesson before 42 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: the trip. I privately decided, she's probably going to be balsy. 43 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: You know how embarrassing it is when you realize you've 44 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: already assigned a personality to someone before you truly know them. 45 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: I had watched or asked questions and organized details on 46 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: the calls, and somewhere in my mind I labeled her 47 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: as someone who might be controlling her off putting. Turns out, 48 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: she became one of my favorite people on the trip. 49 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: She loved Jesus deeply. She was funny, thoughtful, generous, and 50 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: incredibly kind lover equalities I had misread from a distant 51 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: because became qualities I deeply appreciate it up close. 52 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 2: Isn't it amazing how often we create entire stories about 53 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: people before we really know them, And isn't it humbling 54 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 2: how wrong we can be? And that's why I love 55 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 2: today's verse From first Samuel, God speaks these words to 56 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 2: the prophet Samuel when Samuel is trying to identify Israel's 57 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 2: next king. Samuel assumes the strongest, tallest, most impressive looking 58 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 2: sun must surely be God's choice. But God tells him 59 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: people look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks 60 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 2: at the heart. Now in Hebrew thought, the heart was 61 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 2: not just emotion, it represented the inner person, the will, character, motives, 62 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 2: and spiritual condition. God was reminding Samuel that human beings 63 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 2: are often poor evaluators because we rely on limited information. 64 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 2: We make judgments from appearance, personality, assumptions, first impressions, or 65 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 2: our own insecurities. But God sees clearly and honestly. This 66 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 2: passage hits differently. After walking the Comino and serving pilgrims 67 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 2: from all over the world. Every day, we met people 68 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 2: carrying stories we never would have guessed from first impressions alone. 69 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 2: Some look confident, but we're deeply lonely. Some seemed preserved 70 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 2: until they began sharing profound stories of life, loss, heartbreak, healing, 71 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 2: or faith. Some came searching for God intentionally. Others stumbled 72 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 2: into spiritual conversations almost by accident. One woman shared how 73 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 2: she thought her life was over after a devastating breakup, 74 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 2: only to discover on the Camino that she was becoming 75 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 2: stronger and freer than she ever felt before. Another pilgrim 76 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 2: carried grief quietly behind a smile, and another came exhausted 77 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 2: and spiritually dry. That left feeling awakened again, again and again. 78 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 2: I was reminded how little we really know about what 79 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 2: another person is caring. And maybe that's an important word 80 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 2: for some of us today. How many opportunities do we 81 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 2: dismiss because we've already decided what they'll be like. How 82 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 2: many people do we misjudge because we filled in the 83 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 2: blanks with our assumptions. How many blessings do we almost 84 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 2: miss because they arrived packaged differently than we expected. I 85 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 2: almost missed the entire experience because I'd already decided what 86 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 2: missions must look like. I thought ministry would involve pressure 87 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 2: and performance. Instead, it looked. 88 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: Like hospitality, listening, laughter, prayer, folding, laundryes, serving meals, and 89 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: conversations about Jesus that happened naturally because people felt safe 90 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:27,679 Speaker 1: and seen. Sometimes our expectations are built from fear instead 91 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: of truth. Fear tells us you won't fit in, These 92 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: people won't like you, This experience will be miserable. That 93 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: person's probably difficult, but God continually invites us beyond shallow 94 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: assumptions into deeper understanding. One of the beautiful things about 95 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: Christian community is that Jesus becomes the common ground different ages, 96 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: different personalities, and backgrounds. Yet somehow the love of Christ 97 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: pulls people together who otherwise might never cross paths. Maybe 98 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: that's why Scripture tells us over and over again not 99 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: to judge by appearances alone. We simply don't have enough information. 100 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: So here's the application for us today. Hold your expectations 101 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: with humility, Be careful about deciding who people are before 102 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: you truly know them. Be open to God surprising you, 103 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: Stay teachable and curious, Stay willing to discover that your 104 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: first impression might not be the full story. Because sometimes 105 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: the thing you least expect becomes one of the greatest 106 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: gifts God gives you. And sometimes the people you almost 107 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: misjudge become the very people who bless your life the most. 108 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: Will you pray with me, dear Lord in heaven, Thank 109 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: you for loving me as you do with all of 110 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: my judgings and preconceived notions, and you remind me gently 111 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: that you have worked for me to do. If I 112 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: will open my heart. Lord, I almost miss such a 113 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: beautiful experience. And Lord, I don't think I'm the only 114 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: one who does this in life. And let my story 115 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: be a cautionary tale help people to understand about first impressions. 116 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 3: And Lord, maybe we already know and we simply need 117 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 3: a little refreshment to our message. Thank you, Lord for 118 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 3: being willing to work with us when we stumble, because 119 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 3: none of us are perfect. 120 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: Though we think we'd like to be, we are certainly not. 121 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 3: Thank you Lord for the gifts you give us anyway, 122 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 3: and your precious name, we pray Amen. 123 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 2: Looking for a peaceful way to end your day, our 124 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 2: new sister show your Nightly Scripture guide you each night 125 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 2: through a passage of scripture along with a calming devotional 126 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 2: and evening prayer. It's the perfect way to end your 127 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 2: day and help you sleep in peace. 128 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 3: Your Nightly Scripture is now available on Apple, Spotify, or 129 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 3: wherever you listen to podcasts.