Daily Affirmations - Day 1- Resolute Wisdom: Under the Cover

This week's Theme: Resolute Wisdom

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Day 1: Under the Cover

The science fiction classic To Serve Man by Damon Knight (published in Galaxy Science Fiction, vol. 1, no. 6, 1950, pp. 117-129) is a compelling short story with a series of profound themes and powerful lessons.

The story opens with a scene at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Three emissaries from an alien race, the Kanamits, testify at a special session that they have come to earth to grace the planet with the bounty, peace, and progress of their own planet and those others across the galaxy already benefiting from the advancement they have shared.

The aliens seem to make good on their stated intentions, instituting a succession of solutions to some of the most glaring and complicated needs of earth; they even set up channels and processes to facilitate movement to and from their own world.

But all is not what it seems, and the resolute wisdom and dogged determination of one man would uncover the sinister motive masquerading under a cloak of altruism and geniality. For, delving under the cover of the alien text he had nabbed, he soon finds that the title, How to Serve Man, describes not the heart-warming mission of an honorable, high-minded program, but a gruesome cookbook featuring humans as the main ingredient.

Adapted into a 1962 episode of The Twilight Zone, the story has often been used as a cautionary tale against blind trust, unquestioning acceptance, and submissive naiveté. These can show up as dangers in the physical or spiritual realm, and often in an intertwining of the two.

The Scriptures issue constant warnings to us all, because on our own we are no match for an adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. We are instructed to be alert and of sober mind (1 Peter 5:8).

The Word of God is the standard for how we accomplish this; the psalmist expresses this as a truth that is not boastful, but matter of fact: "I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes" (Psalm 119:99 - emphasis added).

This means that the Scriptures give us the wisdom to assess whatever we encounter in spiritual or secular life. In neither arena can we embrace or endorse any words, behaviors, actions, outlooks, philosophies, ideas, thought processes, doctrines, policies, procedures, decisions, judgments, or attitudes that do not line up with the teachings of Scripture. We cannot accept them, justify them, excuse them, reconcile them.

We are clearly shown that our human judgment is not infallible— Joshua and the leaders were deceived by the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:3-16), the apostle Peter was deceived by the devil's agenda (Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:33). God corrects and restores us when we acknowledge and turn from our lapses and foolish errors.

But Scripture does not go lightly on careless, willful, stubborn, manipulative, or calculated distortions and those who both promote and accept them. We must make one choice or the other: The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps (Proverbs 14:15).

We can choose to believe emissaries that masquerade as angels of light and servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), but whose only agenda is to serve us up and devour our souls, or we can resolve to believe the Lord of glory— the One who alone fully embodies truth— who warns us:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:15-20).