Beyond Loving Your Enemy

 Proverbs 24:17-18

"Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
Or the Lord will see it and be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him."

I'm not sure who needed this today. I felt like the Lord wanted me to get this out there. At first I thought this was beyond "loving your enemy". But on second thought, this is exactly what "loving your enemy" is. Not just doing kind things for them, NOT being mean, or NOT saying bad things about them.  This Proverb is saying to have compassion for your enemy. 

Now you may say that I would have an ulterior motive to obey this scripture because if I obey this scripture, then God will continue to be angry with our enemy. But I suggest we look at the 3rd line, "or the Lord will see it and be displeased". I, for one, do not want to purposely do what will displease the Lord. Sure, I screw up. My thoughts and words don't always align with Gods. But I need to make it a practice of "loving my enemy". The more you do something, the easier it becomes. The more we love, the more others see God in us.


Blessings! 

Mary



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