Books and Covers… and People
December 27, 2024 by Virginia Smith
Filed under Daily Devotions, Life Topics
By Virginia Smith
You can’t judge a book by its cover. We’ve all heard that saying. I know it’s true literally. I received a book as a gift not long ago, and when I saw the cover, I thought, “Nah. That story doesn’t appeal to me.” Then a week or so later I became desperate for fresh reading material and opened the book. Wow. Within a page or so I was into the story, hooked by the author’s writing and the character’s conflicts.
Perhaps more importantly, the saying is true figuratively. How many times have I formed an opinion about people because of the way they look? Oh, I’m never rude. But have I missed getting to know a truly delightful person because I didn’t take the time to see behind the façade? Have I been put off by a scowl, perhaps? Or by clothing that isn’t “appropriate,” by my personal standards? Have I discounted someone because they don’t speak my language well enough? Or because their beliefs aren’t the same as mine? Or even because I’m intimidated by the air of success they project? Am I missing some truly great stories because the cover doesn’t look all that appealing to me?
In the Bible, the psalmist tells us that God knows the secrets of our hearts. What’s on the outside doesn’t fool Him at all. I pray He’ll help me to be more like Him, to look past outward appearances. I want to discover the amazing stories He has written in people’s lives.
PRAYER: Father of us all, teach me to see others as You do.
“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ…So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more,” Romans 14:10, 12-13a KJV.
Today’s devotion is by Virginia Smith, the author of over a dozen novels including Stuck in the Middle, which was a finalist for the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award, and the upcoming Third Time’s a Charm. Learn more about Ginny and her books at www.VirginiaSmith.org.
