The Shiny Football Boots
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, 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.
1 Samuel 16:7 KJV
This is an original fictional illustration, not a historical report or an added Bible event.
Oscar thought the child with the newest boots would be the best player. During the game, he noticed another boy passing carefully, encouraging others, and helping someone who fell.
The boots were still shiny, but Oscar had learned that they could not tell him everything about a person.
When Samuel was choosing a king, God told him not to judge by outward appearance. The LORD looks on the heart. We cannot see hearts as God does, so we should be slow to decide someone's worth from clothes or looks.
Pay attention to character. Kindness and honesty matter more than a shiny first impression.
For the grown-up reading along
God corrects Samuel's judgment of Eliab while choosing Israel's next king. Outward appearance does not give a complete measure of a person. The LORD knows the heart in a way human observers cannot.
Read the KJV passage aloud. Explain unfamiliar words in ordinary language without changing the quotation.
Read further: 1 Samuel 16 in the King James Bible.