¹Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. ²And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. ³He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. ⁴He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. ⁵He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.

Isaiah 11:1-5

Immediatly this passage convicts me. Convicts me because it is so easy to make judgments based on appearance or hearsay. It is not my first reaction to step back, to remind myself that all may not be as it seems. But that is my first desire when I think of others making judgments about me. I want the benefit of the doubt.

Jesus said in Matthew 7, we should not judge others because whatever measure we use will be the one used against us. As a new week begins, I invite you to join me in the challenge to take a second look, to say first, “all may not be as it seems,” to offer grace when judgment comes naturally.