BBD 05.30.14 Appearances can be Deceiving (New)

#1 · May 30, 2014, 2:46 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on May 30, 2014, 2:46 pm
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at www.theburningbush.net for the “Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

05.30.14

Appearances can be Deceiving

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at
his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as
man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the
heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV.

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he
said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And
Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he
comes here.” So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes,
and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
- 1 Samuel 16:11-12 NKJV.

You have probably never heard of the
Hemeroplanes Triptolemus. It is a caterpillar that can transform itself into
what appears to be a poisonous snake (Eyelash Viper). Looking at photos of the
caterpillar while it is posing as a snake, you would think that it was a snake.
The caterpillar is able to give itself reptilian scales and is able to snap at
anything coming close which makes the imitation more believable. The
Hemeroplanes can be found in parts of Central America, South America, and
Africa. These snake posing caterpillars are actually moths and they feed on
vine leaves. (WDRB.com 12.23.13; Wikipedia)

I have always loved the story of David, who
was the youngest of his brothers and appeared to be just a shepherd boy. All
the other brothers were rejected by God until finally the shepherd boy was
brought to the prophet Samuel. Everyone thought David was just a shepherd boy,
but he was actually the man chosen by God to be king.

People often put forward a façade when
interacting with others. At times, they may appear to be a snake or a bully; at
other times they may seem to be a kind loving person. I have been surprised
more than once by television news personalities, celebrities, and by
politicians who projected a kind Christian appearance, but were actually far
from being kind or Christian. However, it is not just people on television, or
facebook, or other social networks whose appearances can be deceiving. It is
likely that all of us have encountered those whose real personalities are far
from what they appear to be at first glance. Our own façade that we present to
others may not be what is really deep down inside either.

One thing that we can be sure of when
interacting with others and it is that God knows the truth about all of us. God
knows because He does not just look at the outer appearance, the outer façade,
but instead God looks at our hearts. What is really inside of our hearts? The
truth is that we may not even know ourselves what we are capable of until we
face some kind of a test.

Consider Gideon, who said this about himself, “Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and
I am the least in my father’s house (Judges 6:15).” In other words, Gideon considered himself to be the
weakest and most unlikely person in the entire nation to be used by God. In
contrast, here is how God thought of Gideon, “The Lord
is with you, you mighty man of valor (Judges 6:12)!”

Do you
consider yourself to be unworthy of being used by God? Do others consider you
to be unqualified or incapable of being used by God? Do you think because of
your appearance that God cannot use you? Do you think because of what has
happened in your past that God cannot use you? Or do you think those things
about someone else because of their appearance or whatever it may be? The truth
is they are wrong and you are wrong because “…man looks
at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Copyright © 2014. Ed Wrather. The
Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998
the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather
began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first
devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison
facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the return of the Nigerian school girls. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org
and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at http://www.theburningbush.net for the “Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

05.30.14

Appearances can be Deceiving

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at
his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as
man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the
heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV.

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he
said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And
Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he
comes here.” So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes,
and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
- 1 Samuel 16:11-12 NKJV.

You have probably never heard of the
Hemeroplanes Triptolemus. It is a caterpillar that can transform itself into
what appears to be a poisonous snake (Eyelash Viper). Looking at photos of the
caterpillar while it is posing as a snake, you would think that it was a snake.
The caterpillar is able to give itself reptilian scales and is able to snap at
anything coming close which makes the imitation more believable. The
Hemeroplanes can be found in parts of Central America, South America, and
Africa. These snake posing caterpillars are actually moths and they feed on
vine leaves. (WDRB.com 12.23.13; Wikipedia)

I have always loved the story of David, who
was the youngest of his brothers and appeared to be just a shepherd boy. All
the other brothers were rejected by God until finally the shepherd boy was
brought to the prophet Samuel. Everyone thought David was just a shepherd boy,
but he was actually the man chosen by God to be king.

People often put forward a façade when
interacting with others. At times, they may appear to be a snake or a bully; at
other times they may seem to be a kind loving person. I have been surprised
more than once by television news personalities, celebrities, and by
politicians who projected a kind Christian appearance, but were actually far
from being kind or Christian. However, it is not just people on television, or
facebook, or other social networks whose appearances can be deceiving. It is
likely that all of us have encountered those whose real personalities are far
from what they appear to be at first glance. Our own façade that we present to
others may not be what is really deep down inside either.

One thing that we can be sure of when
interacting with others and it is that God knows the truth about all of us. God
knows because He does not just look at the outer appearance, the outer façade,
but instead God looks at our hearts. What is really inside of our hearts? The
truth is that we may not even know ourselves what we are capable of until we
face some kind of a test.

Consider Gideon, who said this about himself, “Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and
I am the least in my father’s house (Judges 6:15).” In other words, Gideon considered himself to be the
weakest and most unlikely person in the entire nation to be used by God. In
contrast, here is how God thought of Gideon, “The Lord
is with you, you mighty man of valor (Judges 6:12)!”

Do you
consider yourself to be unworthy of being used by God? Do others consider you
to be unqualified or incapable of being used by God? Do you think because of
your appearance that God cannot use you? Do you think because of what has
happened in your past that God cannot use you? Or do you think those things
about someone else because of their appearance or whatever it may be? The truth
is they are wrong and you are wrong because “…man looks
at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Copyright © 2014. Ed Wrather. The
Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998
the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather
began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first
devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison
facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the return of the Nigerian school girls. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org
and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org