OOPS!

Whoever digs a pit for others will fall into it - Proverbs 26:27a (NCV)

      Harold was up to no good again and this time he had conned his friend Louie Blackwood into helping him with his mischievous deed. He almost got caught while talking to his Grandpa but he took off running into the woods where they finally lost him. “That was close,” Louie told Harold as they stopped to catch their breath.

     “I got the reflectors off of my sister’s bike but all my flash lights had dead batteries,” Harold said, “Were you able to get a flashlight?” “I was able to find a small one,” Louie responded, “But the batteries are new and it’s very bright. By the way, what are we going to do with the flashlight and reflectors?”

     “We are going to scare Stella.” Harold said with a grin. “How are we going to do that?” Louie asked. “By making her think we are some where else when we’re not really there.” answered Harold but his answer only confused Louie. So he had to explain it some more. “When it gets dark,” he said, “And Stella comes walking down this path on her way home, we will shine a flashlight at the reflectors. Stella will think we are where the reflectors are, then we will jump out from behind her and scare her.”

     After hearing that Louie thought it was going to be fun to hear Stella scream. The two of them than went to work putting the reflectors on different trees so they would be ready when Stella came walking home. After a while Harold noticed it was starting to get dark so he told Louie it was time to hide.

     No sooner had they hid when someone came walking down the path. It looked like everything was going according to Harold’s plan. They shined the light at the reflectors and when the timing was right they jumped and said BOO! As loud as they could and did Stella ever SCREAM! But there was a problem.

     “Harold,” Louie called out, “That’s not Stella. It sounds like your Mom.” Just than Martha hollered out Harold’s name. “It is my mom!” Harold said, “Let’s get out of here.” As they took of on the run they could here Harold’s Mom saying they were in big trouble and she was going to go get Harold’s Dad.

     Harold made plans to scare his sister but something went wrong. Instead of scaring his sister he scared his Mom. His plan failed and his mischievous deed got him in trouble. We need to be careful of what we plan to do for our evil plans can bring trouble to us. Turn to the story of Daniel and the Satraps.

      Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God." Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: "King Darius, live forever! "All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions' den. "Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked." Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction .....^..The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions' den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. - Daniel 6:4-9,24 (NAS)

     If you want to read the rest of the story - the part before and in between you can find it in Daniel 6. What happened to the Satraps, what happened to Harold, can easily happen to us.

     Words of Warning

• If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows. The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads. - Psalms 7:12-16 (NLT)
• Whoever digs a pit for others will fall into it. Whoever tries to roll a boulder down on others will be crushed by it. - Proverbs 26:27 (NCV)
• He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. - Ecclesiastes 10:8 (NAS)

     Here's some good advice for keeping out of trouble - Proverbs 4:25-27 (NLT)

• Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
• Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.
• Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

     Here's Something to Ponder

• Are you taking careful thought of what you plan
  • Is it for good or for evil
  • Will you be sorry
  • Will God be pleased