“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17, NKJV). This is a hard instruction because the instinct to celebrate an enemy’s downfall feels so natural, even justified.
This verse asks for something harder than mere restraint from public gloating. It asks the heart itself not to be glad.
That’s a deeper standard than most of us hold ourselves to. Public composure is one thing. An actually ungladdened heart is another.
Has an enemy’s recent stumble quietly gladdened your heart in a way this verse calls you to examine honestly?