When It Looks Good On the Outside, But...

Did you ever bite into a juicy ripe peach, only to discover it was rotten on the inside?      Or maybe you chose a shiny red apple, and then you discovered a worm inside. Not a pleasant experience, is it?

Those scenarios are good illustrations of the frustration I have been feeling over the last few days.  I had a proof copy of my new book in my hands. Actually, it was the third proof copy! I was so excited! It was beautiful! I just knew it was ready for publication. I was certain everything had been checked and double-checked adequately. I was certain every error and typo had been corrected, and I loved how it looked! I think you will, too, once you see it.

But a little voice inside me said Check it one more time. So I did.

That little voice probably remembered that on Sunday, I had written a Scripture reference incorrectly. We were doing some cross-referencing about the passage we were studying, and I had assigned several passages for class members to read. The references were written on index cards.  When I called for a particular reference to be read, it was discovered that I had written down the wrong reference. I wanted Proverbs 17:3, but I had written Proverbs 17:6.

Yesterday, as I was doing yet another check of my manuscript, I was asking the Lord to open my eyes to any errors. After that prayer, the Spirit prompted me to check all the Scripture references to be sure they were correct. And wouldn't you know it! That's where the error was. I had typed Matthew 18:18-20, a perfectly good Scripture reference. But what I had intended was Matthew 28:18-20, which covers an entirely different subject!

Today I'm thankful I caught the error. Thankful that I listened to the Spirit's leading. Thankful that I was patient enough to wait until I was really comfortable before giving the final OK. Thankful that I have time today to check it one more time.

I want more this to be more than a pretty book on a shelf; I want the content to be correct. Because looking good on the outside is not good enough!


"As he thinketh in his heart, so he is." (Proverbs 23:7 KJV)