One minute read.
Daily Reading: Jeremiah 1:1-2:30, Philippians 4:1-23, Psalm 75:1-10, Proverbs 24:17-20
Daily Verse: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,” Prov. 24:17
No gloating.
When others fall, God doesn’t want us to rejoice at their misfortune. God loves your enemies and creates them in His image. A difficult concept to grasp; our limited perspective doesn’t allow us to know all that God knows.
Schadenfreude means pleasure derived from another person’s misfortune. When someone cuts you off on the interstate, and a few miles later, you see them sitting on the side of the road with flashing blue lights behind them, rejoicing equals schadenfreude.
Instead of rejoicing, thank God for preventing the reckless driver from hurting themselves or someone else, and pray they learn their lesson. As a sinner, I’ve cut people off in traffic, often unknowingly, but God still loves me. And He loves the person you consider an enemy.
The Lord doesn’t want us rejoicing at other’s misfortune; He wants us to pray for them. All sin and fall short of the glory of God. And we will all experience trouble.
Instead of rejoicing, pray for the person, asking God to intervene on their behalf.
Lord, forgive us for rejoicing when our enemies fall. Change our hearts and help us have sympathy for those who offend us. Let us become more graceful as You soften our hearts and make us more like Jesus. IJNIP. Amen
