S (Ezekiel 25:3,6,12) Thus says the Lord God, "Because you said, 'Aha!' over my sanctuary... because you clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all malice within your soul... [and because you] acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity..."
O
In this series of condemnations of nations that were belligerent to God's people, we see how God measures and abhors the corruption of heart that fuels cruelties. Whenever people have dark dreams of revenge, their thoughts eventually gather enough momentum to corrupt their words and deeds, too.
A
When gloating over "well deserved calamities" in others, I need help. The opposite of this attitude--the antidote to this toxicity--is love. Paul told the Corinthians that God's love never rejoices over wrong doings. Instead, it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
P
Lord, this love is easily applied to people I love and admire. It's much harder to love people who have earned my disrespect. Then I recall how merciful You have been to me, how merciful You are even at this moment, and how You have pledged your unfailing love to someone as "disrespectable" as me. I yield myself again to Your mercy and pray for an increased capacity for Your love.
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