"Paint"

You can say what all you want to,

‘Bout a paint horse you don’t like,

And how they can’t compare to,

Others that you cite.

But color’s not the reason,

A horse acts any way,

And I’ve seen lots of crazy,

With sorrels, duns and bays.

The reason that I bring it up,

I have a paint at home,

And, yes, this horse is different,

Than any that I’ve known.

He’s really very playful,

And also hard to tire,

And I’ve worked cattle on him,

And dragged calves to the fire.

Pulled him from the pasture,

Trail rode him twenty miles,

Downtown with flags flying,

And all he got was smiles.

His mom, a palomino,

Papers and good mind,

I thought if he thinks like her,

He’d be a real good find.

Turns out that’s just the way he is,

A big, old sorrel paint,

Okay if you don’t like him, 

And I will say he ain’t,

The very best I ever had,

But then I think he’ll do,

And just because he has some spots,

It doesn’t mean he’s through.

You can’t always know a horse,

By what you see outside,

You have to feel the way he moves,

When you step on and ride.

Folks don’t miss by very much,

They’re sometimes the same way,

If you judge them from the outside,

You might miss they’re okay.

And God looks on the inside,

And right down to the heart,

Sometimes makes all the difference,

From the finish to the start.

God picks the most unlikely,

Than you would think He’d use,

Just when you’re ‘bout to count ‘em out,

They’re just the ones He’ll choose.

Maybe you don’t like a paint,

And that’s okay with me,

But this one really changed my mind,

And helped me clearly see,

The inside is what matters most,

And when that’s what comes out,

You’re thankful that’s the way it is,

To get things done, no doubt.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God…” (Psalm 51:10, NLT)

The Bible tells us that God does not judge us by our outward appearance, but rather looks at the heart. He called David “a man after his own heart.” This means that David’s heart was right with the Lord, and he wanted to do God’s will. He loved the Lord and wanted to worship and serve Him. But not always…And when David compromised and disobeyed the Lord, he was prompted to pray that the Lord would cleanse his heart. God’s greatest work is internal. He changes us from the inside-out. If we keep our relationship with Him superficial, our lives remain the same. But if we open our hearts to Him and are willing to do whatever He wants, He will forgive, heal and change us. Then we will begin to see others the way He does, and not judge (or misjudge) them by their outward appearance. We will see them and love them the way God does.

Lord, heal our hearts so that we are enabled to see others the way You see them, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Jason Rich, jasonrichstudios.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Jason, and God bless you.