Some time ago, I went to buy a used car. I was tempted merely to look at the outward appearance and then check the price tag on the front window. Luckily I remembered my father’s comment that it is easy to polish a car on the surface but harder to treat the rust underneath. Sure enough! When I looked at the underside of the cars, I discovered that several of the cars I was considering looked perfect from the outside but were actually corroded with rust underneath. It would have been unwise to buy any one of  them.

  

In a similar way, God can see the true nature of human beings. Nothing can be kept secret from God (see Jeremiah 23:24). Nor is there anything that won’t be revealed eventually (see Luke 12:2). David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), chosen and valued for his character. When we are tempted to judge others, we need first to measure ourselves by the godliness of our  behaviour.

Prayer: O God, thank you for knowing us completely. Help us to live  so that others may see you in us. As Jesus taught us, we pray, ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’ Amen