PROVERBS 24: BLESS YOUR ENEMIES

These verses say that we should not be happy when bad things happen to our enemies. The Lord disapproves of this, and in fact, it makes Him angry.

It’s so easy and natural to be happy when someone who has hurt or taken advantage of us must face the consequences of their actions. Our first thought is usually, Good, you deserve it. But that is not the attitude God wants us to have. He is our Father, and He wants us to imitate Him in every situation (1 Peter 2:21). Being able to pray for our enemies, bless them, and have true compassion on them when they encounter trouble is powerful (Matthew 5:44). This ability is not based on our feelings; we can only do it with the help of the Holy Spirit and by making decisions according to God’s Word.

Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). And when Stephen was being stoned to death, he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).

When people hurt us, we tend to assume they have done it on purpose. But we must remember that “hurting people hurt people” and often are not even aware of their actions. This does not mean they are not responsible for what they do, but that we should trust God to deal with them in His way and in His timing and never be happy when they fall or face difficulty.