OUTLINE:

Satanic Deception
We must always remember that Satan is a MASTER of deception. The most effective deceptions are the least obvious. Only the Word of God is able to shine light on them to reveal their insidiousness.

Being Ready
Some people will reject truth the first time they hear it because they aren’t ready for it yet. To be accurate, God isn’t willing to give them understanding yet (ala Lk 9:43-45; 24:44-53). Individual readiness is a function of God’s timing.

“concealed to them”
The sovereign God of the Universe withheld divine viewpoint from Jesus’ disciples for His own purposes and in accordance with His own desires (ala Isa 55:8).

EVERYTHING that happens under God’s watch is by design…ordained by Him.

God, by grace, waits until we are ready to receive something.

If we find ourselves becoming boastful about ourselves and our so-called “accomplishments” in the spiritual life, we have just proven to ourselves that we are deceived! Jas 4:16

Pr 27:2
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.

Boasting
If anyone should boast, it should be God over His grace in you. He doesn’t need or want you boasting about yourself. The greatest boasting is when you attribute credit where credit is due (1Co 15:10; 4:7).

Boasting
Even the ability and motivation to labor for the Lord is a gift from God, period.  To Him be all the glory and honor. 1Co 15:10

Ez 28:17
“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.”

Pr 31:30
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain.

2Co 11:14-15 [Message]
Satan does it all the time, dressing up as a beautiful angel of light. So it shouldn’t surprise us when his servants masquerade as servants of God. But they’re not getting by with anything. They’ll pay for it in the end.

Only the Word of God is able to shine light on deception. We are not shrewd enough to see it by ourselves.

“shrewd as serpents”
- “cunning as a snake” (Message)
- “wise as serpents” (Amplified)
- “prudent as serpents” (Darby)

If you really want to be shrewd and be able to recognize deception when it's in front of you, then keep "looking intently" into the law of liberty, the Word of God.
Jas 1:25, Heb 4:12

Perspective Is Everything!
With proper perspective, we ALWAYS end up giving thanks to God! This is pleasing to Him (1Th 5:16-18).