“God made man upright, but he has sought out many schemes.” – Ecclesiastes 7:29
Men and women are schemers. Does it surprise you? Yet the Bible calls you such. If sin impacts you, and it does, it necessitates the nature and capacity to scheme. It is a route chosen and manipulated to really try to avoid God. Adam and Eve did this right after they had chosen to believe the lie to be equal to Him, rather than love, obey, and worship Him. The scheming really began in earnest.
Scheming is defined by your planning, either unconsciously or purposefully, to avoid the presence of God; avoiding His perceived eyes on you or simply ignoring His commandments. This is because of an avid pursuit of other desires not conforming to His expressed and loving desires for you.
Being in God’s image, and not an animal, machine, or non-human concoction we have an imaginative, magnificent mind to scheme well. But the One whom we image not only sees through those schemes, but in a real sense laughs at our numerous machinations. Yet His love for us keeps Him resolute in “bringing many souls to glory.”
In hindsight we see quite clearly the lie the ultimate schemer, the serpent, foisted on Eve, and through Eve on Adam. Then they both schemed to avoid their Creator as they tried then to escape His presence. Alas, we follow in their footsteps. Our imaginations work overtime in thinking we can pull one over on God. He will not see, He won’t be aware, or He simply will not care. None of these are true.
I rather think you need to sharpen your perspective on just who God is. Having and keeping in your mind a clear view of the God who is, will keep you perhaps from attempts at scheming with the awareness that He knows, sees, and yet, above all, still loves you.
Rather than scheming to avoid Him, wrestle with God in vital relationship. Know that it is God with whom you have to do with absolutely everything in your life. Get into a living give and take with the Lord. The worst thing you can do is ignore Him. That is the worst scheme of all.
“Search me, O God, my heart discern; try me, my inmost thought to learn; and lead me, if in sin I stray, to choose the everlasting way.”
(The Psalter, Psalm 139:14-24, 1912)
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