Shiny, Shiny

(Proverbs 23:31 KJV)  Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

We live in an affluent age and culture.  People in the United States who are considered to be living in poverty have “basics” that past centuries would have considered unimaginable luxuries.  Think about such a simple thing as a flush toilet.  Consider all the infrastructure that goes into such a simple devise:  Water purification and the pipes to deliver it, maintaining the pressure, the levers and valves to regulate the flow, the ceramic to make the fixture.  

The context here is the way life “giveth colour” (sparkles NASB) (5414/5869) and we are impressed with that glow.  The problem is when things are too “aright” (smoothly NASB) (4339).  We can be lulled into complacency in the face of evil.  We can be impressed by the surface when the core is evil. 

So?  Learn to see with spiritual eyes instead of just enjoying the view.  Look for principles and long term effects.  The world we live in is too superficial to continue without our input and insight.