Is. 53:2 Things are not as they always appear to be.

Is. 53:2  My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground.  There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.

In a world that puts so much emphasis on appearances, we need to grasp the significance of this passage.  What you see is not what you necessarily want or need.  No matter how well put together the package is, if the content is not good, it’s a waste of time and effort to get the package.  What is worth having is worth the effort to find out what you are really getting.

Jesus did not stand out amongst men because of His appearance.  He was just a common man amongst many as far as what the eye could see.  What made Christ different was His character.  He was not like anyone else; He lived a life totally pleasing to God.  He could never be accused of sinning, because He never did.  He drew a large following for what He shared.  Depth of character was certainly His strength, even in His death. 

When you apply these truths to people, it changes everything.  Instead of going after those who appear to have it altogether, we need to go after those we know have it altogether.  Many people of great character have been spurned because of outward appearances.  It would be interesting to know how many wonderful opportunities we have passed up on because we were not willing to get beyond the appearance of someone to really get to know them.  Also, I wonder how many people develop low self-esteem and fail to live up their God-given potential because they are spurned by those who are more focused on appearance than substance. 

I also believe that one of the ways we can help curb the divorce rate is to encourage one another to look deeper than the appearance of a person and get to know the heart before we make a commitment to fall in love and marry.  Far too many marriages fall apart because couples discover in the daily routines of life the person they married is not the person they thought they knew.

Is there someone you know whom you have failed to  get to know because of their appearance?  Is there someone you have put on a pedestal simply because of their appearance?  If so, ask the Lord to correct your soul vision today.  Ask Him to help you see people on a much deeper level than you are accustomed to.  Ask Him to forgive you for your shallowness and for your passing up opportunities that he has given to you to really know someone special in your life that you have passed up on.  Heart-to-heart connections are the only connections that will stand the test of time and circumstances.