Perception and Deception

‎Saturday, ‎May ‎8, ‎2021

Good Morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God....—2 Corinthians 3:5

Memory of the month:  And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" —Luke 24:32

Today's reading: 2 KINGS 4-6 LUKE 24:36-53

Perception and Deception

As a young man working in Southern Illinois I stopped at a roadside fruit stand in front of an orchard and bought some 'golden delicious apples' with snow on them. Of course they were so cold and they were the best apples I can remember having in my life. It could be the fact of the snow or maybe the cold or maybe the fact that they were so fresh-right off the tree.

All the apples we buy in the store are off a tree, somewhere. They can be chilled by the refrigerator at home. But they never seem to come close to those at the roadside so long ago. They are so handled and processed or something that makes them different. But, they are still apples. It is not their fault. There are still part of God's creation.

None of us had a choice in where we were born or the social and economic or religious climate in which we received our early conditioning. All this is not our fault.

So, we grow up in our places and learn from it all. We learn from those who raise us and those who educate us and from those with whom we spend time along the way. Some of what we learn is good and some is not good. This is where we get our ideas of right and wrong-our ideas of kindness-our ideas of survival and so on.

From all this we develop our own system of maintaining who we are-or who we think we are supposed to be. We get 'set in our ways' with some changes along the way.

Are our ways good ways? Are your ways good ways? Well, who defines the good in your mind? Is 'good' an idea that comes from a parent or teacher or book? Do your ideas of right and wrong come from a political or religious organization? What has changed your views over the years-because you are who you now are for reasons you have chosen. Your origins are not your fault-your choices are your responsibilities. The scripture says we are all born into sin. It is a personal choice of whether we stay in sin or not.

We live in America by choice. Some born here, yes, others came here for a 'better' life. But what do you call yourself?

How do others see you as an American? This is what a young lady told her mother after returning home from a mission trip to one of the old Soviet countries:

“In some countries, the term Christian is synonymous with American and carries with it negative connotations – it says more about one’s political beliefs and excesses than personal values,”

“The term Christ-follower describes a Person and a lifestyle-this is how we were told to identify ourselves”.

The world perceives you by a label, first, and then by actions. How do folks around you perceive you? After all the handling and processing you've been through, who are you, really?

Do you live behind a wall of deception-'put on a good face' while you are a mess on the inside or is your peace and joy real even in the hard times?

The world sees you and judges and accepts or rejects you by how much you have achieved and how popular you are or how pretty or strong or how well you handle yourself in a crowd, etc.

But how does God see you-the real you? This is where God is so different from the world. He sees you as you are and welcomes you and loves you. He knows all your sin but loves you unconditionally. Jesus died for you knowing what and how you would be.

All we have to do is believe and confess.

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Is the world's perception of you based on deception? Stop being deceived and deceiving. The world holds no answers to real life. The world is all smoke and mirrors.

God welcomes you as you are. Stop trying to be something you were never meant to be. God means for you to be His and Jesus died for that reason and gives you a new day everyday, until He comes, to live in Him and be more than a conqueror(Romans 8:37) in this world.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me for trying to be what the world thinks I should be. Have mercy on me and teach me Your way as I follow.

Great God of all mercy!

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen