Things Are Not Always What They Seem

It was a beautiful Pennsylvania bed-and-breakfast--a working farm. After breakfast, Lynne and I walked around the grounds and down to a farm pond. A large white swan was swimming at the far end of the pond. We noticed something unusual. The swan was chained to an iron post on the bank with about 25 ft of chain.

Later, we asked the owner why the swan was chained. He told us that last Spring his wife was working in the flowerbed near the pond; her back was to the pond. He was in the barn about 100 yards away when he heard his wife screaming for help. He ran out and saw the swan beating her with its powerful wings. He knocked the bird off her, saw that she was seriously hurt, and rushed her to the hospital. She had multiple contusions, deep bruises, and fractured ribs.

The swans was a new addition to their farm. And what they didn't know is that during mating season the male swan becomes territorial and aggressive. And a male swan can seriously injure, in some cases, kill a human with its wings. She was fortunate that her husband was there. The attack might have been worse.

Things are not always what they seem. Beauty can be deceiving. Samuel was on a mission to anoint a new king for Israel. God sent the prophet to Jesse's house. The new king was to be of Jesse's eight sons. Samuel took one look at Jesse's son Eilab--strong, handsome, tall--and thought, "Here he is! God's anointed!"

But God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and statue. I've already eliminated him. God's judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks at the heart" I Samuel 16:7.

Appearance, charisma, personality grab out attention. We're drawn toward beauty like a moth to flame. Is it any mistake that the one who deceived Adam and Eve was a supernatural being of exquisite beauty?

God bypassed the better looking sons and chose the "runt of the litter" to succeed Saul as king of Israel. It was his inside, not his outside, that grabbed God's attention. "Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life" I Samuel 16:13.

Ask God to give you His eyes. Dare to look below the surface. God does. He is a heart-man, first and foremost. Shouldn't we follow His example?