Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

Proverbs 14:22

I’m not going to ask for a show of hands or anything, but have you ever made some sort of a plan and then realized that what you were thinking of doing was just plain wrong? Maybe you were going to lie about something, or hide something or help yourself to something that wasn’t rightly yours…

Maybe it was worse that these…

Recently my wife and I have been watching episodes of the old Dallas TV show. I must admit to you that my favorite character on the show was none other than Old J.R. Of course, that isn’t because he was the good guy, no sir, it’s because he was the bad guy. He was just so completely outrageous, so utterly crooked, and got the most hilarious lines, hilarious because they were just crazy. He was such an outrageous liar, and managed to lie with a straight face… and with an attitude!

Of course, he’s also a fictional character in a fictional program.

Yet, what made that show the success it was back in the day, is that it had an element of truth to it.

Why do people act like that?

Evidently, it’s nothing new, since Solomon wrote about it so very long ago.

We know of people who plot evil today, and yes, they often have a nice little run for a time, but sooner or later they get caught in some form or fashion. It might be by the law, or their spouse or whomever, but no one seems to be able to get away with evil forever in this life. They certainly have a date set for a face-to-face with God, and nobody fools Him.

Years ago, I knew a business woman named Muriel who, at that time was in her mid 70’s. On one occasion she had dealings with a man who had seriously misrepresented a business transaction they were involved in and when everything was over, she turned to me and said, “Well, that’s the end of that. I’m not going to worry about it any more because people like that just go to Hell, and that’s IT.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that one, but even though she had an interesting way of putting it, in the end she had a point.

Jesus showed us a better way to live, didn’t He? There’s no need for us to lie, cheat or steal to get ahead, for our hope doesn’t lie in riches, things or the approval of this world. Our hope is in the One who never lies, cheats or hides, for our hope is in the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.