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If you’ve been reading through 2 Samuel, you may have noticed that Absalom thinks well of himself. As referenced in Chapter 14, he is described as a man with “not a blemish on him from head to toe” and hair so luscious that it weighed up to 5 lbs. when cut. People raved about his outward beauty and often followed his lead without a second thought. But as Proverbs 31:30 boasts, “charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting.” At the end of the day, the Lord perceives the true heart of a man or woman.

It can be easy to look at people and judge them by what only the eye can see. Often, this is where we feel pressured to place our value when presenting ourselves to the world. Surely, no one will know of my sin or insecurities if I put a smile on my face and put my best foot forward. Fortunately, the Lord can see through this facade. I say fortunately because living as outwardly whole and inwardly corrupt is not sustainable. In Absalom’s case, only the Lord could intercept his duplicity by confusing the instruction of those with whom Absalom was scheming against David. In the end, justice is always the Lord’s. We should live our lives serving His good will and not the vanity of our own.

Exhortation: Take a moment and consider how your private and public life align. Ask the Lord to purify your heart so that you can begin to consider God’s view of you over that of the world.

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