Don't just entertain me
How wonderful to be wise, to understand things, to be able to analyze them and interpret them. Wisdom lights up a man’s face, softening its hardness. (Ecclesiastes 8:1 TLB)
If you have ever watched the expressions of discovery and intrigue on the face of a small child, you probably have close to what it must have been like for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden as they explored each new creature, plant, and living thing. They must have had those moments of discovery that awed them, while almost overwhelming their soul with delight and wonder. To discover one has to be open to discovery. To uncover one must look. To gain understanding one must be open to seeing through different eyes at times. To unmask one must reveal a genuineness of character that encourages the removal of that which covers.
A good poker player is known for his ability to maintain what is referred to as a "poker face" - the ability to have the most amazing hand while never once 'declaring' that hand in the expressions of the face or eyes. I don't believe the discovery of truth actually lends itself well to the use of a 'poker face', though. The discovery of truth actually brings light to the eyes and a softening of the facial expression. The moment truth comes, the soul is lifted, changing the 'landscape' of not only our soul and spirit, but finding expression in the landscape of our face!
The Roman poet Virgil once wrote, "Consider what each soil will bear, and what each refuses." Notice the condition of the soil of the soul as understanding begins to come into the life of one ready to receive it. The soil is malleable, 'open' to receiving seed, making the seed 'part' of itself. The soil of the soul closed to understanding is quite the opposite - hard, closed off, almost repelling the seed as soon as it falls. The soul is often reflected in the landscape of the face, betraying the condition of the soil just beneath! The soul which has been prepared reveals itself in the softness of the face as that truth begins to be made part of the soil of one's life. There is something about truth understood that cannot be contained within the inner man - it must be revealed outwardly. Truth doesn't entertain - it sustains! Just sayin!
If you have ever watched the expressions of discovery and intrigue on the face of a small child, you probably have close to what it must have been like for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden as they explored each new creature, plant, and living thing. They must have had those moments of discovery that awed them, while almost overwhelming their soul with delight and wonder. To discover one has to be open to discovery. To uncover one must look. To gain understanding one must be open to seeing through different eyes at times. To unmask one must reveal a genuineness of character that encourages the removal of that which covers.
A good poker player is known for his ability to maintain what is referred to as a "poker face" - the ability to have the most amazing hand while never once 'declaring' that hand in the expressions of the face or eyes. I don't believe the discovery of truth actually lends itself well to the use of a 'poker face', though. The discovery of truth actually brings light to the eyes and a softening of the facial expression. The moment truth comes, the soul is lifted, changing the 'landscape' of not only our soul and spirit, but finding expression in the landscape of our face!
The Roman poet Virgil once wrote, "Consider what each soil will bear, and what each refuses." Notice the condition of the soil of the soul as understanding begins to come into the life of one ready to receive it. The soil is malleable, 'open' to receiving seed, making the seed 'part' of itself. The soil of the soul closed to understanding is quite the opposite - hard, closed off, almost repelling the seed as soon as it falls. The soul is often reflected in the landscape of the face, betraying the condition of the soil just beneath! The soul which has been prepared reveals itself in the softness of the face as that truth begins to be made part of the soil of one's life. There is something about truth understood that cannot be contained within the inner man - it must be revealed outwardly. Truth doesn't entertain - it sustains! Just sayin!
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