Proverbs 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
This comes to me in the form of a dream. It was not a nightmare but it haunts me because my heart wasn’t right before the Lord. In my dream my enemy had died and I was glad but then it was announced that he was my age and suddenly a great sadness fell over me. Life is precious and I want to live longer, what right do I have to rejoice over the end of it for anyone?
That person died before coming to know the Lord. His chances for redemption are gone. He is lost for eternity. What if someone had taken my life before I surrendered to Christ? I would have been just as condemned as my enemy. I have no right to rejoice over another’s loss.
I understand there will be some who do not agree with me, and I will not argue with you over that point, that is between you and God. I don’t have the right to judge you either. But the images of those who hate us and rejoiced when the twin towers fell only strengthened my resolve for revenge, not mercy.
There are people in this world who have hated each other for thousands of years and there seems to be no end to it because revenge never stops and mercy never begins. All those lost souls will never come to know the love of Christ and as much as I want to say they deserve it, so did I. So did I.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
I should not rejoice, I am better than that, not because I am better than that but because I was chosen to be better than that and its time I started acting like it.
Another excellent and stirring message, Larry. One so easily falls into the “they had it coming ” mode. “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
BTW, your gospel message the other day was tender, powerful and excellent as well.
Larry, I love this! I’m so proud of you, or maybe I should say I’m so very pleased that God has used you this way, and given you these words. There have been times when I’ve thought God has a special Hell, I hope for the ISIS creatures. but, what if I’d been born into their world, and knew only what they know? God have mercy on their souls, but please bring justice to them for what they’ve done to their fellow man. And, may He have mercy on my soul for the way I feel about the atrocities they’ve committed.