The Big Discount
“For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” [Ecclesiastes 12:14]
Shoplifting is a rampant problem in the United States, but can you imagine someone stealing from a charity event? Timothy Clark did just that. What’s more, it was an event at a Walmart store in Maryland, attended by 50 police officers! He allegedly tried to steal over $500 in video game products while the law enforcement officers were holding a “Shop with a Cop” program for the community.
The store’s security unit caught Clark cutting open and shoving video games and accessories into his shirt. They immediately contacted police who were… right there! The suspect had no chance to run out the door since officers were all over the place. Authorities found 26 PlayStation and Xbox games, two controllers, and various other video game accessories. Strangely enough, the purpose of the charity event was to “build good relations between law enforcement and local youth.”
Shoplifting, also called “boosting” and “five-finger discount,” is one of the most common property crimes in the United States. Most shoplifters are amateurs, but there are those who make a living at it. Retailers say that on average they lose about 0.6 percent of their inventory to shoplifters. One figure says shoplifting costs businesses about $25 million a day. Some businesses use closed-circuit television to catch thieves. Others pay personnel to watch people, some using uniformed guards to discourage shoplifting activity.
The devil, in one sense, has shoplifted planet Earth. He has stolen the innocence, the purity, and the safety of our world when he successfully tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, telling her, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). Shoplifters believe that they will not get caught and that there are no consequences to their actions. But the Bible teaches that God sees all. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). The Lord’s surveillance system is without fault.
