Perception

Happy Labor Day! Thanks to all of you who work so hard at your job with fidelity and integrity.  Recently, Darrell has begun to thank the person who is helping us in the store, shop, drive thru etc. for coming to work that day.  We are thankful for their help and making our trip to Sonic or wherever successful. 
 
Speaking of stores, I had gone to our local neighborhood store to pick up a bunch of items since the kids were coming for Labor Day.  As I was shopping for groceries, I began to notice that some packaged items appeared to be smaller. I picked up a package of chocolate chip cookie mix. The price appeared the same as what I usually paid, so I picked up 2 packages and continued on my way. At home, I began to prepare both packs together using the same amount of butter I always used.  I noticed it looked different in the bowl.  Before I added the mix, I read the amount for butter and realized I had added double amount. Each of the packages of mix was actually half of what I typically purchased.  I had not lost my “cookies” but the package was smaller for about the same price.  Have you guys experienced this?
 
I was telling Darrell about what happened with the cookie mix.  Darrell was quick to tell me there was actually a term for that tactic, Shrinkflation.  According to Investopedia the definition is: Shrinkflation is a term made up of two separate words: shrink and inflation. The "shrink" in shrinkflation relates to the change in product size, while the "-flation" part refers to inflation—the rise in the price level. Shrinkflation is basically a form of hidden inflation. Companies are aware that customers will likely spot product price increases...
 
I feel duped! That is just one word to describe my feelings along with others such as conned, tricked, deceived, cheated, fooled, bamboozled and so much more.  It actually reminded me of the first occurrence of such tactics in world history, the incident of Eve being deceived.   
 
Genesis 3:1-7
 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”  The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”  The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!  For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
The serpent was very crafty.  The serpent devised a scheme to deceive Eve, which then led to Adam, by using partial truth.  God had given Adam and Eve truth of the garden in Genesis 2:16-17.  The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;  but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”  The serpent first posed to Eve “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” in a question form which created doubt, questioning and that there were other possibilities. Eve repeated what God had told her. However, the serpent challenged her understanding and belief in the truth God had spoken to them by questioning whether they would surely die.
The serpent brazenly claimed that God had hidden the truth because God knew if they ate the fruit their eyes would be opened and they would be like God. That idea was planted in Eve’s mind and then gave way to sin when Eve then Adam ate the fruit.  Eve saw the tree to be good for food, a delight to the eyes and she had the desire to be wise.   The couple recognized their nakedness and hid from God.  Their sin separated them from God and fear set in. 
In our current period of history, we are being bombarded by deception in so many areas.  Some deceptions are liken to the shrinkflation but others are more like a complete “fruit basket turn over”, tossing our long held beliefs into an abyss.  The replaced thoughts and practices create incredible suppositions we cannot ignore or believe. For us Christians, the standards have shifted from what we learned from scripture to human wisdom.
What does God’s word say?
Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth  forever.”
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs 14:8 “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.”
James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Proverbs 4:5-7 “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Where do we get wisdom to navigate the onslaught of what we are facing in our point in history?  God’s word, which is infallible, verifiable, and truthful that will guide us, exposing the deception of the evil one. Let’s be wise in the truth of God not in the world.  We need to question what we are being told, what we are reading and hearing.
 
Blessings,
Karen