BBD 07.26.04 Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)
07.26.04
Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right
The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will
flourish. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way
of death. - Proverbs 14:11-12.
The chase began when Sheriff’s Deputy John Hedrick of Winfield, West
Virginia spotted a speeding vehicle. His radar showed it was traveling 60
mph in a 35 mph zone. Hedrick proceeded to try to stop the speeder as he
headed toward the county buildings where the sheriff’s office was located.
The vehicle came to a screeching halt outside the sheriff’s office and a man
jumped out and began running toward the court facility. Hedrick was able to
catch him - but he let him go temporarily. Hedrick explains, "He was late
for a court hearing." Daniel Clark who Hedrick had been chasing was to be
arraigned on the charge of wanton endangerment. Deputy Sheriff Hedrick tells
how it all ended, "I thought it was kind of a weird situation, but it kind
of worked out all right. He got to court, then he got the ticket." After his
arraignment, Clark received tickets for speeding and driving with a
suspended license.
We can sympathize to some extent with Clark in that he was trying to do the
right thing about not missing his court date. However, he surely went about
it in the wrong way! Clark’s situation is not the classic way that many try
to make a wrong right with another wrong but it is close. If woman become
pregnant out of wedlock that is a wrong that many try to right with another
wrong by having an abortion. If a person is having financial problems
because of gambling debts some have tried to right this wrong by
embezzlement at work or by other illegal means of obtaining money. In an
extreme case, that I am personally aware of a woman was having an affair and
her husband was upset with her, which is of course to be expected. She hired
someone to rough up her husband to make him back off and leave her alone.
The result was that one of the men died from knife wounds received in the
fight.
In all of these instances and you can probably think of others; a second
wrong does not make a right. Actually, the second wrong only succeeds in
making things worse. It is human nature to want to avoid the unpleasant
consequences of our actions. At the time, it may seem to be the right thing
to do. However, doing something wrong to cover up or try to make right
another wrong only leads to death. Death is not necessarily physical death
or spiritual death although it can lead to that if the downward spiral of
sin and deception is not halted. With each sin, each wrongful thing that we
do there is more deadness that comes into our lives and into the lives of
those around us. The only way to end the progression downward is to do what?
Stop the wrongful actions.
To turn these bad situations around you must first of all confess your
failures to your Lord (1 John 1:9). Then you must deal with the human side
of the mess. You may think that it is the end of the world for you when
there will be consequences, which could include prison or disappointing
those who have trusted and respected you. To be honest and upfront with
everyone is the first step to getting your life back. I know people who have
committed suicide rather than face such things. You don’t have to do that
because if you turn it over to God, no matter how bad it is - He will carry
you through it and give you peace in the midst of the storm (Philippians
4:6-7). You must place your trust no longer in yourself or human plans or
what you think might cover it over. Instead your trust must be placed in God
who is the One who can bring good out of the bad (Romans 8:28).
Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. On June 8, 1998 the email
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