1: Do not be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them 2: For their heart studies destruction and their lips talk of trouble. 17: Rejoice not when your enemyfalls and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles. 18: Lest the LORD see it and it displease him and he turn away his wrath from him. 19: Do not fret because of evil men; neither be envious of the wicked. 20: For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

There are many things God tells us not to do with the evil man or woman.

1. Do not be envious of them
2. Do not desire to be with them; to make them our companions.
3. Do not rejoice when they fall or be glad when they stumble.
4. Do not let them cause us to worry

All of these hold the potential to draw us into sin….that’s why God tells us NOT TO… But of the list, I think the third is by far the hardest. And coming after it is a very powerful warning to us, lest we skim right over that one! God is the righteous Judge, yet He says that if we rejoice over our enemy’s fall…that will displease Him very much. But you ask, if they are wrong, and if they have hurt us, and if they have finally fallen, why can’t we be glad about that? You know, that is a question that requires some digging further than just the surface. When we are ‘happy’ over an enemy’s fall, we have taken our eyes off of where their life is clearly heading and have instead focused on ourselves. God IS the Judge and nothing escapes His attention. He IS the Author of Goodness and Righteousness, so we can be assured that He holds the sole claim to the lives that are in opposition to His holiness.

It is really incredible to think of what these verses mean. If I, as a sinner myself, look with joy upon another sinner getting ‘what they deserve’, God will not only be displeased with my attitude, but He will turn HIS wrath away from the very one who deserves it ….because I have responded incorrectly. Our response when our enemy has fallen should instead be one of humility: “LORD please use this event in their life to awaken them to Your truth and who You are, and may they turn their life over to You….” God has also impressed upon my heart right now, that if it were not for His grace, that enemy could be me.

Friends, it is hard not to be envious of our enemies sometimes, (for a variety of reasons), and it is certainly difficult to not allow them to cause us to worry. And at times it may even be a challenge to not desire to be with them, and do what they do so freely and easily (or so it seems). But today, we are given the Word that plainly tells us of the displeasure from God when we are not saddened for their fall…and burdened for their souls.

For Today: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written: vengeance is mine; I will repay says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good. Romans 12: 19-20.

Instead of what comes naturally to us, God through the power of His Holy Spirit wants us to do what is supernatural. And He alone will receive the glory, as we live in the transforming light of His power and His wisdom.