Appearance Can Be Deceptive (Sun Tzu 5:6) (Matthew 7:6; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16; Colossians 1:24-29)
The seasons change and butterflies emerge,
As stable life first teeters on the verge
Of chaos – sheets of ice sweep up on land,
Crush into docks – no cottage can withstand.But then it melts, new life springs up again,
As grubs dissolve, their form no more the same
’Till from that seeming mass of chaos forms
The butterfly, emerging to life’s storms.Amidst all battle, turbulence prevails;
Discernment shows what battle now entails –
That there is order underneath what’s seen,
Kept from our sight lest we know what it means.A leader moves his troops with the battle skill;
They roll and tumble, turn with practiced will;
They circle ’round in units small and tight,
Their form unseen but action's done just right.But even there, deception cloaks their acts;
They simulate chaotic – cloak of fact
That there’s a plan, a pattern to their moves,
And discipline which leadership approves.Control, good order feigns what others see;
It simulates reverse – as if there be
No strength, or courage, where in fact there is
No cowardice or weakness in the biz.Don’t wear a target fastened to your shirt;
Don’t throw your pearls to swine there in the dirt;
Don’t feed your treasures to the dogs lest they
Turn and attack, destroying you as prey.Paul said that God revealed His secret plan
When time was right, so all might understand
That life was there – salt, light, and leaven fresh
For cultured world – and bid us to address –Our need for wisdom, spirit, grace, and love,
To live our lives down here as up above;
His sleeper-play since Abraham was 'round
Fulfilled at last when Christ to us came down.So look beneath appearances today
To see the real – the games some people play –
The evil one – deceptive from the first
Is on the prowl – en guard – lest things get worse.navigation