Wednesday, February 11, 2009

God detests wicked scheming...

God detests a heart that devises wicked schemes. (See Proverbs 6:16-19.)

I immediately thought of the fictional heist in Ocean’s Eleven. Danny Ocean, a just-out-of-prison con man, gathers a gang of eleven together to rob three giant Vegas casinos. These crooks plan to steal $150 million dollars from underground vaults on the night of a huge boxing match. A wicked scheme to be sure, one God would detest were it real.

And we’re encouraged to cheer on these bad guys as they rob worse guys. Our heroes are no longer heroes in any real sense. Convicts are our role models. God help us.

I also thought of Mr. Madoff’s non-fictional bilking of thousands of investors. His Ponzi scheme diverted tens of billions of dollars entrusted to him by non-profits and individuals to his own accounts.

“Mr. Madoff was,” according to a New York Times article, “a charlatan of epic proportions, a greedy manipulator so hungry to accumulate wealth that he did not care whom he hurt to get what he wanted.”

His was a wicked scheme devised in the heart. At least Madoff isn’t being hailed as a hero. That would be too much. His actions and attitude are detestable to God.

Mordecai, Queen Esther’s honorable cousin, responded correctly when he became privy to a plot to assassinate the king. He did not ignore it or cover it up. He could have. Some would’ve said he should have. Xerxes was a foreigner. The Jews were his captives. A coup would serve him right. But Mordecai knew hiding evil schemes wasn’t right. He reported the evil plans immediately to the authorities and the conspirators were thwarted. Their detestable plans were not carried out. Mordecai wasn’t rewarded immediately, but his praise-worthy actions served him well later on in life.

Look into your own heart. I know pointing fingers at others is more fun, but what good does that do really? Nothing changes for good if you never examine your own heart.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure,” the Bible says. “Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, NIV)

Your heart will trick you unless you examine it, unless you test your motives and plans against God’s word. Everything changes when you see your heart as God sees it. So ask him to show you the truth. Pray with the Psalmist: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV)

What wicked schemes has your heart devised? Some people scheme to shun a classmate and leave them lonely. An individual might plot to grab a promotion by spreading lies about a coworker. Teens have been known to plan together to get a friend drunk against his will. A few people scheme to destroy or damage the property of an enemy who’s done them wrong. Boys sometimes conspire to steal a girl’s virginity with sweet talk and lies. Some employers scheme to keep important information from their employees and sometimes employees do the same to employers.

If wickedness can be done, it can be planned in the heart. If you’ve been plotting evil, stop. Repent of your sin. Leave your detestable ploys and plan good instead. Conspire to kindness, goodness, generosity.


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