Is the cat in this picture real or an illusion? I had a lot of people who had to get closer to see for themselves.
Some of the dictionary definitions of an illusion are:
- a thing that is or is likely to be wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses
- a deceptive appearance or impression
- a false idea or belief
So many times when my kids were little I’d think they were finally playing nicely together without fighting, only to find out they had collaborated and were getting into trouble doing things they knew they weren’t supposed to do. The older one figured out he could blackmail his sibling so I didn’t find out until many years later when they were adults all the things they did as kids. So my personal definition of an illusion of peace is when it’s quiet and you think the kids are playing nicely, but it’s too quiet and they’re actually getting into trouble. Can anyone identify with that?! LOL
“We hoped for peace, but no peace came.
We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.”
Jeremiah 8:15, NLT
Drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, and many other things can give you the false sense of peace as you participate in them, but it is only a short-lived feeling of peace that doesn’t last, and not the real thing. Coming down off a high is not very peaceful. The only “high” I’ve ever been on is a spiritual high when I’ve been away on a retreat and then had to come back to the “real” world where all is not peace and joy.
“For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.”
I Thessalonians 5:2-3, NLT
You may think you have peace now, but is it the real thing? Does it sustain you when things get rough? Does it comfort you and keep you calm? When a disaster or unplanned event or emergency comes upon you, do you keep it together or do you fall apart? The above verses are talking about the day when the Lord returns to take those who are His with Him to Heaven. People are going to be going about their day as normal, enjoying their life, and all of a sudden things will change. They’ll see people are missing. A vehicle or aircraft will veer off course because there is no one in the driver’s seat. If they’ve had any knowledge of the Bible at all, they will realize the Lord has come and taken His children with Him and they are left behind. Then things won’t be as peaceful and secure as they had thought. Disaster will come and at that time there will be no peace for those still alive on earth, and no escape.
There are many false teachers who will tell you what you want to hear and who teach things that are not Biblical. They are giving you an illusion of what they think but not truthfully what the Bible teaches, so be careful. An illusion may give you a false sense of peace for a time, but in the end the peace will dissipate and you’ll have nothing left, like the icicle that melts when the sun shines on it. Be wise and discerning of the things you hear, see, and read so that you don’t become illusioned by false teachings.
A good example of an illusion is the tricks of a magician. They show you one thing and want you to believe it, but they never show you how they did it because if they did it would spoil their presentation. What you see is not what actually happened in their trick…it’s just that—a trick! Don’t fall for it…and don’t fall for an illusion of peace. Ask God for the real perfect peace that only He can give.