Wednesday; January 31

After sundown on April 20, 1865 John Booth and David Herold set out to cross the Potomac in a small boat.  The two men had been on the run since Booth had assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on April 14.  America’s most wanted had evaded soldiers, police officers and bounty hunters for days by living in the a thicket in a swamp in southern Maryland, but now the time was right for their escape to what they expected to the be friendly confines of Virginia.  The two men set off on the dark dreary night in hopes of finding freedom, but what they found was despair.  You see, after hours of paddling they discovered they had been heading the wrong direction.  Rather than reaching what they hoped would be the safety of Virginia they had actually ended up back in Maryland – even further north and closer to Washington D. C. (and the scene of the crime).  In a bit of irony this night ended much like the life of John Wilkes Booth.  Even though he was committed to his cause and he was willing to work hard to accomplishing his goals – he found himself lost because was heading in the wrong direction.
         We often praise the virtues of planning and hard work, but these characteristics are only noble when the goal is actually virtuous.  The truth is that we will eventually get to where we are heading, but the reality of it all is that if we seek the wrong direction being committed and working hard doesn’t do us any good and can lead us into some disastrous situations.  The key to our lasting success is not as much in diligence as it is in obedience.  The Bible warns, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 16:25)
         Let’s check our moral compass for accuracy.  When we are on the right path, then we can give it all we have!
         Think About It!

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