Built into the DNA of every human is an automated self-protecting mechanism. When skin is punctured, the blood clots to minimize the loss of blood. When dust is blowing, the eyelid closes, and tears are formed to clean the eye. But sin has mutated this good instinct. The evil we need the most protection from is ourselves and our faulty wisdom. The greatest enemy is not lurking somewhere outside in the dark; it is within. The problem is that we do not naturally protect ourselves from this evil because we do not perceive it as evil. It seems right; in fact, EVERY thing we do seems right; otherwise, we would not do it. So, the sin that led to the death of David’s son seemed right in the moment. The Bible says that during the time of the judges, a time of continual foolishness, rebellion, and disaster, what characterized the people was that they acted based upon that which was “right in their own eyes.” There is a better way! God, who is not hampered by partiality, delusion, or pride, ponders the hearts. His eyes penetrate past the urge to act, focusing on the heart desires and beliefs that lead to the action. The response to this dilemma is clear. I must not trust my own heart. My heart, left to itself, will always produce desires that seem right even if disaster is the end result. Instead, I must daily live the prayer of David: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”