Psalm 64

1 O God, listen to my complaint. Protect my life from my enemies’ threats.
2 Hide me from the plots of this evil mob, from this gang of wrongdoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent, attacking suddenly and fearlessly.
5 They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret. “Who will ever notice?” they ask.
6 As they plot their crimes, they say, “We have devised the perfect plan!” Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.
7 But God himself will shoot them with his arrows, suddenly striking them down.
8 Their own tongues will ruin them, and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 Then everyone will be afraid; they will proclaim the mighty acts of God and realize all the amazing things he does.
10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him.

“We have devised the perfect plan!”

How many times have we heard that? Whether it be the congressional "Deem and Pass" scheme or something else...we always want to think we're the smartest person in the room. "Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning." Although, "cunning" is not actually the adjective that God would like to see ascribed to our reputations. A dictionary will tell us that "cunning" means "skill employed in a shrewd or sly manner, as in deceiving; craftiness; guile." It doesn't really equate to Christ's command to his disciples in Matthew "Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

But it is how people "plot their crimes."

I have a thought about this. If we can't achieve our objective by a means other than "cunning" it's probably not a worthy objective. I know, we like to call it "creative solutions" but...to my knowledge there is only one Creator...and it's not us. Many have tried...all will fail. "Creativity" (AKA cunning) is what Bernie Madoff did. "Creativity" is what caused the sub-prime housing disaster. "Creativity" is what led AIG to bankruptcy.

We won't rise to the ethereal levels of craftiness that the world admires. We won't amass the toys common to the rich and famous. But we will find shelter in the One who supplies all our needs.

Live boldly out there today...