Things Are Not Always As They Appear
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
03/23/2022
Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:19-20)
Perhaps you have heard the story about the kindly old gentleman and his dog Sam. Now Sam was not the most attractive little mutt. In fact, he was rather ugly. Yet, his owner loved him very much—like the son he never had. Every Sunday this little old man would take his beloved dog Sam on a walk in the neighborhood park. One particular Sunday the man sat on a park bench with Sam at his feet, as was his custom midway through their walk, and began eating his sack lunch. Sam and his owner were not bothering anyone. They were minding their own business.
Soon a rebellious-looking young man appeared with his dog. Both the youngster and his dog had a mean look to them—bulldog type features to their faces. You could tell they were looking for a fight. Before long, the younger man and his bulldog began taunting the little old man and his ugly dog, Sam. “I bet my dog Spike could kill your ugly mongrel,” the young man boasted loudly. Then he looked at his dog and said, “Sic ‘em Spike!”
The little old man, without flinching, calmly replied, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Irritated by the passive old man’s comment, the bully once again commanded Spike to attack the frail-looking pooch. The old man calmly reiterated, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” As Spike lunged toward unsuspecting Sam, a battle ensued in cartoon-like fashion (lots of barking, dust flying, and dogs running in circles).
When the dust settled the result was unexpected. Spike lay defeated, bloodied and torn to pieces by the ugly mutt. Humbled by the experience, the young bully looked at the gentle old man and asked, “Mister, what kind of dog is that anyway?” The old codger replied, “Well, before I cut off his tail and painted him yellow, he was an alligator!”
Things are not always as they appear. How many times can you remember responding to a crisis, a situation, or some experience in your life only to find out later that things were not at all they way you perceived them to be? Every day we respond to life’s circumstances based on how we perceive them. And as long as we see life through the lens of a spiritual, biblical perspective, our responses will be appropriate. However, when we see life through the temporal lens—the façade of human experience and expectation—we are in danger of jumping into a dogfight that turns out to be an alligator fight!
A review of the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis indicates that he learned that lesson well. Joseph lived by the motto: Things are not always as they appear. He understood that regardless of how things looked, God was at work accomplishing his purpose in Joseph’s life. Joseph was the eldest son of Jacob and Rachel and Jacob’s eleventh son in all. His father loved him more than all of his brothers. This caused his brothers to hate him.
Their jealousy was aggravated by Jacob’s overt expression of favoritism in giving Joseph a beautiful, colorful coat. Every time his brothers saw Joseph wearing that coat, they were reminded of his preferred status with their father. Acting out of jealousy and hatred, his brothers, with the exception of Reuben, resolved to kill him. Reuben intervened on Joseph’s behalf and persuaded them to cast Joseph into a pit instead. While the brothers were eating, a company of Arabian merchants came on the scene and Joseph was sold to them for twenty shekels of silver.
This was the first in a series of bad breaks and unfair life circumstances that Joseph would be called upon to endure. In the years to follow he found himself in jail, falsely accused, and frequently mistreated. Yet, through it all, he kept the right perspective. He knew that something bigger and greater was at work. He knew that things are not always as they appear.
Years later, Joseph found himself in a position of power and authority in Egypt. When his father Jacob died, his brothers feared that Joseph would seize the opportunity to exact revenge on them for their evil deeds. But he did not. His response is one of the most surprising statements in the entire Bible. Joseph said, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Wow! Joseph knew that even though what happened to him was not good or pleasant, and in fact it was extremely painful, it was all part of God’s sovereign plan to accomplish a greater purpose.
Can you say that today? If you find yourself struggling with difficult circumstances or life experiences, remember: Things are not always as they appear. God is always looking out for your best interest even if you cannot see how. “We know that all things work together for good” when God is in control (Rom. 8:28). And He is!
03/23/2022
Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:19-20)
Perhaps you have heard the story about the kindly old gentleman and his dog Sam. Now Sam was not the most attractive little mutt. In fact, he was rather ugly. Yet, his owner loved him very much—like the son he never had. Every Sunday this little old man would take his beloved dog Sam on a walk in the neighborhood park. One particular Sunday the man sat on a park bench with Sam at his feet, as was his custom midway through their walk, and began eating his sack lunch. Sam and his owner were not bothering anyone. They were minding their own business.
Soon a rebellious-looking young man appeared with his dog. Both the youngster and his dog had a mean look to them—bulldog type features to their faces. You could tell they were looking for a fight. Before long, the younger man and his bulldog began taunting the little old man and his ugly dog, Sam. “I bet my dog Spike could kill your ugly mongrel,” the young man boasted loudly. Then he looked at his dog and said, “Sic ‘em Spike!”
The little old man, without flinching, calmly replied, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Irritated by the passive old man’s comment, the bully once again commanded Spike to attack the frail-looking pooch. The old man calmly reiterated, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” As Spike lunged toward unsuspecting Sam, a battle ensued in cartoon-like fashion (lots of barking, dust flying, and dogs running in circles).
When the dust settled the result was unexpected. Spike lay defeated, bloodied and torn to pieces by the ugly mutt. Humbled by the experience, the young bully looked at the gentle old man and asked, “Mister, what kind of dog is that anyway?” The old codger replied, “Well, before I cut off his tail and painted him yellow, he was an alligator!”
Things are not always as they appear. How many times can you remember responding to a crisis, a situation, or some experience in your life only to find out later that things were not at all they way you perceived them to be? Every day we respond to life’s circumstances based on how we perceive them. And as long as we see life through the lens of a spiritual, biblical perspective, our responses will be appropriate. However, when we see life through the temporal lens—the façade of human experience and expectation—we are in danger of jumping into a dogfight that turns out to be an alligator fight!
A review of the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis indicates that he learned that lesson well. Joseph lived by the motto: Things are not always as they appear. He understood that regardless of how things looked, God was at work accomplishing his purpose in Joseph’s life. Joseph was the eldest son of Jacob and Rachel and Jacob’s eleventh son in all. His father loved him more than all of his brothers. This caused his brothers to hate him.
Their jealousy was aggravated by Jacob’s overt expression of favoritism in giving Joseph a beautiful, colorful coat. Every time his brothers saw Joseph wearing that coat, they were reminded of his preferred status with their father. Acting out of jealousy and hatred, his brothers, with the exception of Reuben, resolved to kill him. Reuben intervened on Joseph’s behalf and persuaded them to cast Joseph into a pit instead. While the brothers were eating, a company of Arabian merchants came on the scene and Joseph was sold to them for twenty shekels of silver.
This was the first in a series of bad breaks and unfair life circumstances that Joseph would be called upon to endure. In the years to follow he found himself in jail, falsely accused, and frequently mistreated. Yet, through it all, he kept the right perspective. He knew that something bigger and greater was at work. He knew that things are not always as they appear.
Years later, Joseph found himself in a position of power and authority in Egypt. When his father Jacob died, his brothers feared that Joseph would seize the opportunity to exact revenge on them for their evil deeds. But he did not. His response is one of the most surprising statements in the entire Bible. Joseph said, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Wow! Joseph knew that even though what happened to him was not good or pleasant, and in fact it was extremely painful, it was all part of God’s sovereign plan to accomplish a greater purpose.
Can you say that today? If you find yourself struggling with difficult circumstances or life experiences, remember: Things are not always as they appear. God is always looking out for your best interest even if you cannot see how. “We know that all things work together for good” when God is in control (Rom. 8:28). And He is!
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