From Gary... Beauty, perfection and the choice of the heart

I have had dogs for about 3 years now and I confess that I am a dog lover. That does NOT mean my dogs do not have faults- they have plenty of them. They sometimes can be stubborn, lazy, bark too much and other assorted problems. However, most of the time they are very good and extremely loving. I have gotten to know their every quirk and love them anyway. Sometimes I wonder- given a choice, Would I choose the same dogs again??? Humm- and then I found my answer from this passage of Scripture....

1 Samuel, Chapter 16 (WEB)

  1 Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons.” 

  2  Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” 

Yahweh said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.  3 Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you.” 

  4  Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 

  5  He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.  6 When they had come, he looked at Eliab, and said, “Surely Yahweh’s anointed is before him.” 

  7  But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for I see not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.”  8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has Yahweh chosen this one.”  9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, “Neither has Yahweh chosen this one.”  10 Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen these.”  11 Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your children here?” 

He said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is keeping the sheep.” 

Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 

  12  He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. Yahweh said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” 

God chose David because of his heart and I would chose my "Buddy" and "Pal" for the same reason.

Right about now, you are probably asking yourself- What has the picture to do with all this??? Well, even if there was something "wrong" with either of my dogs (like the nose of dog in the picture) I would still chose them because of the love they have within them!!! 

PS- doesn't the dog in the picture look very friendly??? I think he would make someone very happy!!!!