Pray for your Enemies - Proverbs 24

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and it displeases Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.
Proverbs 24:17-18


Have you ever watched the news as someone got their comeuppance and thought, “Ah ha! It serves them right!” Have you chuckled as you watch someone squirm as a result of their ill-advised behavior and delighted that, “It is about time… .”


If you have, REPENT. Now, just as a reminder, “repent” means to: 1) recognize that what you are doing is wrong, and 2) turn away from that behavior and head back in the direction of God. Let me give you a visual.


I am the very proud owner of two basset hounds. Basset hounds were made by God to hunt by scent. Their ears are long so that when they are on a scent, the ears brush along the ground, stirring up the scent and literally funneling it into their nose. Likewise, they are hardwired by God to stay on a scent once they start, so they are not easily distracted visually or by sound once they are on a trail.


All of those traits are good and wonderful if you happen to have your basset hound to hunt. Mine hunt for nothing but their next meal and they only look in the food bowl for that. So, all those wonderful traits can have drawbacks. One of them is that they are slow to recognize when they are off on the wrong track (i.e. they need to repent). Generally, when they are off on the wrong track, they are not just moseying along, they are “hooked up and outbound” (that is an old phrase from my dad who worked on a tug book meaning full throttle and headed out of port).
Oftentimes when the bassets are in need of repenting, I am running along behind them yelling their names, telling them to stop, and demanding they “repent” – as if they actually listened. (The oldest basset actually thought “no” was part of his name I used it so much when he was a puppy.)


But, unlike basset hounds, God created you to hear His voice. You just have to learn to listen. When you have learned to listen, the Lord will give you a warning when you begin to “rejoice when your enemy falls.” Heed that warning, because the rest of the scripture explains that your rejoicing can actually displease the Lord so much that He will turn His wrath from your enemy.
What is the appropriate response when your enemy falls? Forgive them. Pray for God’s mercy on them. If they have raised their hand against the Lord’s anointed (you are the Lord’s anointed) then the Lord will vindicate you. You don’t have to worry about how that is going to happen, just trust that it will.


So, when President Clinton faced impeachment, when Hillary Clinton lost the primary, when the media goes after Obama, what is has been response? Are you running across the field so fast that you cannot hear the Lord yelling your name and telling you to stop? Or, do you rejoice in their downfall? You better practice your repentance.


Lord, remind me to pray for those who are my enemies. Open my eyes and ears to see and hear You in every area of my life.