“INSIDE OUT” By Karin Spraberry West June 26, 2014 Never judge a book by its cover! There are many books to choose from. I want to talk about to very different books that claim to be alike. The first book I will talk about is the book we all usually choose without much thought. This book is the book we are drawn to based on its impressive cover. I will simply call this book for identification purposes, “Dressed to Impress.” This book has an impressive cover filled with impressive words that draw you in immediately. This book comes with an impressive resume, many educational degrees, and flattery and intellectual words. This books cover is clean, fresh and brand new. This book has no torn or wrinkled pages and from the cover looks like the book to choose. This book is quite pretty to look at and draws you in with its very appearance of promise. The problem with this book is that it almost always disappoints. They usually come with empty promises and flattery words. They deceive even the most intellectual scholars with their angelic appearance. These books come with an attitude of entitlement. After all they have the education, the nice clothes, the manipulative draw and enthusiasm. They are subtle, yet persistent. Unfortunately these are the ones that are filled with empty pages. Upon further investigation the pages begin to expose a story you never intended to read. This book is filled with pride, arrogance, carnality, hypocrisy, self-seeking, and competiveness. They are seeking position, success, recognition, and glory for themselves. They do good with a wrong motive and heart. Their motive is promotion and recognition. They are the ones standing in front of the camera, seeking credit for doing good. These are the ones that storm the church, seeking what the church can do for them. Never asking what they can do for the church. They believe simply having a piece of paper from man qualifies them for God’s service. Often these are the ones who come as Pharisees, knowing a lot about God, yet rarely actually knowing Him. These are the books that are beautiful to look at on the outside, but when you begin to turn the pages there is no fruit. They lack empathy, they lack understanding, and their true colors begin to surface quickly. They are simply one way when the cameras roll or they have an audience and another behind closed doors. They will rarely take the time to listen to another in need. If it does not in some way benefit their plans for success, they don’t hear the cries for help. Matthew 23:27- Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white washed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and uncleanness. Matthew 23:28- Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 7:15- Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:16- you will know them by their fruits, Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Romans 1:21- because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:22- professing to be wise, they became fools. Now there is another book I would like to mention. This book I will simply call “TATTERED AND TORN. The tattered and torn book sits on the shelf gathering dust. This book has tattered edges and torn pages. It has wrinkled pages and is quite old. Its cover is coming apart in places and you can see the many imperfections right from the moment you see it. This book does not come with a beautiful cover or impressive resume. This book does not come with pieces of paper from men, only pages of life. It appears somewhat run down. It comes with regrets, but carries on. It comes with mistakes, but has gained understanding. This book has fallen from many a shelf, yet it was always picked back up. This book is a book filled with experience, pain, mistakes, joy, heartache, healing, sickness, persecution, trials, rejection, injustice, regret, and truth. This book is not prideful or haughty, for it knows what it feels like to fall off a shelf. It knows what it feels like to have to wait to be picked back up. It knows what it feels like to be trampled under many feet, before it is placed back where it belongs. This book trusts in and surrenders to the librarian (God). This book understands dependence and surrender. This book knows when it is lying helpless on the ground after being dropped, that the librarian (God) will come pick it up. This book may be tattered in torn, but with every fall from the shelf came wisdom. Every fall brought understanding of its call. Every trial brought it through another mile. No this book is not very pretty to look at on the outside, but look inside! If you will look beyond the tattered cover, greatness is what you will soon discover. There is a treasure hidden deep within its pages just waiting to be seen. Those who are wise look beyond what is seen with their eyes. The things worth the most are the things you have to search out. Every treasure worth finding is never obvious to the natural eye. Some things are hidden so they can be discovered just at the right moment. No one ever found a treasure without first picking up a shovel and digging deep. The tattered and torn book is the one with the answers. It is filled with experiences, understanding, empathy, and Love. Love comes with a bright and beautiful light deep within the heart of this book. This light changes lives, prevents others from falling, teaches others, sends warnings, and brings a bright light of truth. This book is filled with stories, wisdom, pain and joy. It brings protection to those who read it. When searching for a book within the library, never forget to seek the librarians advice. If you choose your book based solely on its cover all you will find is disappointment. Be wise and look into the heart of every book, seek advise from the Librarian (God) and take your time when reading them. Some day you may walk passed the one book that will bring light to a very dark world. . 2 Corinthians 7- Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. John 7:24- do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. #BookByCover #revelation #wisdom #discernment #understanding #false #truth #lies #false #wolves #Christian #church #decisions #outside #appearance #deception #InwardPerson #light #darkness #KarinSpraberryWest
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 21:04:09 +0000