It seems that we hear a lot these days about “unintended consequences”. People do something intending to do good but some unforeseen bad thing happens. Sometimes the cause of “unintended consequences” is that people haven’t given sufficient thought to their actions. Sometimes bad things happen because they didn’t consult knowledgeable people, they didn’t “ask the experts”. Doing things without enough knowledge on the subject or without giving sufficient thought to possible consequences of our actions can bring results ranging from merely embarrassing to down right dangerous. When dealing with religious matters the consequences can be eternal. In 1 Chronicles 13 we read about King David’s efforts to return the ark of God to Jerusalem. David thought that transporting the ark on a new cart was a good idea but when the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and Uzzah touched the ark and was immediately struck dead, David learned that he was wrong. David was angry about this “unintended consequence”. He said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” In 1 Chronicles 15:2 David realizes his error. “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.” In verse 13 David says, “the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.” David realized that he needed to do things God’s way. In religion today many people do what “they” think is right and good without consulting God about the “proper order”. They don’t give sufficient thought to their actions and they don’t consult the proper authority. In all things religious we must do what God wants us to do, in the way that God wants us to do it. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12). Let us always consult God’s word and avoid the “unintended consequences”.