“Good people obtain favor from the Lord, but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.” (Proverbs 12:2 NIV)
People who plan wicked schemes will be condemned. The phrase “give themselves enough rope to hang themselves,” means: to allow someone to accomplish his or her own downfall by his or her own foolish acts. When you give someone room to fall, they eventually will, but it may be tortuous to watch. We think that people get away with unjust things in life. I’ve been asked many times why people get away with wicked schemes. Here is the truth, they don’t. They may appear to get away with their evil plans from your perspective, but God is watching. They aren’t getting away with anything in His eyes. He knows. People who plan wicked schemes will be condemned.
People who plan wicked schemes will be condemned.
I am constantly amazed at the wicked schemes people come up with in life. Murder is a wicked scheme. God is clear about His thoughts on murder since He put it in the 10 Commandments. Jesus confirmed the severity of murder, and takes it to a whole new level:
“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.” (Matthew 5:21-22 MSG)
Words kill, they steal life from our relationships. We judge and condemn people who have planned wicked schemes, not realizing, we’re doing it too. The old adage, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words cannot hurt me,” is a lie. Words can hurt more than sticks and stones. They leave lasting impacts that reverberate through a lifetime after the initial bruise heals. I am still traumatized from one of my friends in middle school telling me I have a big nose. I don’t remember much from middle school, but I remember that because it made me feel ugly. His words hurt deeply, they made me ashamed of how God made me. I still have to remind myself I’m God’s masterpiece, a young boy’s thoughtless words don’t define me (Ephesians 2:10 NLT).
People who plan wicked schemes will be condemned, we just may not see it. We are all walking wounded. We all have been hurt by someone’s wicked schemes, and we’ve hurt people with our wicked schemes. I have moments where I have said things that have hurt people, which I regret. The fact that I can’t take those words back, tortures me. One of the ones that tortures me the most happened almost 20 years ago. I did what the scripture says, I “carelessly called a brother” a name. He’s forgiven me, but I still haven’t completely forgiven myself. Those who plan wicked schemes will be condemned, we just may not see it.
Question of the Day:
What wicked scheme are you still trying to forgive yourself for today?
Further Reading: Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22 NIV, Luke 8:4-21NIV, Psalm 69:19-36 NIV, Proverbs 12:2-3 NIV
