Trompe l'oeil

Trompe l'oeil is French for 'trick the eye'.
It came into popular use in home decorating several years ago and I love the effect when well done.

I'm not an artist but I tried my hand at it in our ensuite.... the photo shows my attempt to create 'a hole in the wall' that isn't there.

I was looking at it the other day and thought how much of the things that pass into our minds through our eyes and ears on a daily basis are Trompe l'oeil.

I, along with countless others, held my breath when we were shown the hot air balloon that had broken its tether and drifted into the sky presumably carrying a six year old child. After several hours, and much money spent in an effort to bring the child down safely we were informed that the child had been safe at home the whole time, and they parents are now charged with creating a hoax.

We see and hear sooo much that is outside our little circle where verification is possible. We have no way of telling what news stories are true, which are partly true and which are not true at all.

Where, at one time communication with each other was 'face to face',we have now added cell phones, e-mails, chat rooms, instant messaging, Facebook, Twitter , blogs . All of these require that we 'believe' that which we cannot see.


It used to be said that a picture does not lie... but now we have photoshop software that can alter a photo in many ways that are not discernable to the naked eye.

How often have you bought into something and then had your hopes dashed? How often have you been disappointed because something/someone didn't live up to your expectations?

In the final analysis, there is really only one thing in our world that is immune to Trompe l'oeil and that is God's Word.

Down through the centuries and millenia, science has yet to prove it wrong, man has yet to find God's promises untrue, time has yet to prove it outdated.

Yet, I wonder...... Christians everywhere give mental assent to the eternal wisdom of God's Word but they spend so little time meditating on it to absorb its truth into their daily lives.

If there was a book that guaranteed effortless weight loss or a fool proof get rich quick scheme or the secrets to an eternal fountain of youth these books would fly off the bookshelves and be poured over until every word was memorized.

Yet even though God's Word promises not only success in this life, but in the life to come - though it holds the secrets to relationship with God and lays out the only path to heaven, Christians barely spend any time searching its pages. Statistics claim that less than 1% of self-proclaimed born-again Christians read their bible every day.

I don't know where you fit into that statistic ... but may I challenge you to think about reading your bible more? You need never fear that the words you read will disappoint you with Trompe l'oeil. Every word is sure and true and forever established!

Does your heart echo Psalmist's words?

Psa 119:162 "I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure."