Travelers through northeastern North Carolina are amazed to see beautiful tall spears of lavender and white flowers filling the rural landscape. The oil from this unusual crop, clary sage, allows perfume, cologne and other fragrances to last longer. Except for this one corner in northeastern North Carolina, clary sage is grown only in France and China. Since it is used for perfume, my preconceived idea of its fragrance was shattered when I broke off a flower and smelled it. In addition to being almost repulsive, I could not get the aroma off of my hands. It was not what I expected at all!
Jesus warns us many times that some people are not what they appear. In Matthew 7:15 (NIV) for example, Jesus says to “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves”. And in 2 Peter 2:1, Simon Peter says “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you…”.
David described our challenge in his prayer in Psalms 26:4-5: “I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked”.
Be careful, things are not always as they appear. Trust that God will help you see through hypocrisy and lead you to a life that is truly God centered.
I Found Him…in a gorgeous field of foul smelling clary sage.