Proverbs 17.5 says, Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his maker, and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. I have to admit, there are times when I've really had to fight the fleshly urge to celebrate the downfall of someone that I believe and know to be very wicked. But this proverb informs me that when I feel that way, I have a wrong spirit. Another proverb that clearly spells this out for us is one we'll look at again some months down the road in Proverbs 24. Verse 17 plainly tells us, Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth. But we're given an interesting incentive for not rejoicing over the fall of an enemy in the next verse, Proverbs 24, 18, which says, lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turn away his wrath from him. In other words, if you gloat, you might cut God's wrath off from your enemy. So be humble and be quiet. So when our proverb that we've begun with here says, and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished, keep in mind that the punishment might be that God lets up and lets your enemy off easy. But beyond checking ourselves with this proverb, which is very important to do, obviously, we should start there, I also think about certain people I've known through the years, which give us more motivation to check ourselves. These people really had an extreme case of what we could call calamity joy. I worked with one lady in particular who comes to mind, and this woman was a very strange bird. We'd be sitting around with, you know, as many as half a dozen people just enjoying some down time. I'd notice that no matter how funny a story or joke was, she'd just sit there with a cold, blank stare. We'd be laughing and talking and she just wouldn't even smile. She'd just sit there. And once in a while, when she did speak it and have something to say, it'd be something cutting or negative. I'll be honest, I thought she was what folks these days might call psychotic, but I tried to work with her and also began to know that there were times she would laugh. I kid you not. She'd be the only one not laughing when things really were funny. She would be the only one laughing and sometimes, almost hysterically, anytime something bad would happen or a co-worker would make a mistake or get into trouble, she found that hilarious. I'm sure if you think hard enough, you've known someone similar to this lady. I hope it's not you. There's a reason this proverb was written. God knows human hearts and he knows the human condition. This woman was an unsaved Catholic. Every attempt to break through the ice wall she lived behind with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I tried several times, by the way, and I know a few others did as well, But we always just got a flippant, I'm Catholic. That's how she would respond. And every person like her that I've known through my adult years, they've had two things in common. Number one, they never repented toward God with faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Not saying it couldn't happen. Just didn't. And number two, the last I saw of each of these people, they were miserable. And those who died, died in a miserable condition. There are exceptions that prove the rule, I'm sure, but I know of none. He that is glad of calamities shall not be unpunished. I think that more than anything, we simply need to check our own attitude toward our enemies and remember that God doesn't like it when He punishes the wicked and then His children, who are supposed to be humble, begin to gloat. Goats gloat. God's sheep should have God's heart. And remember the words of Psalm 116.5. Gracious is the Lord and righteous. Yea, our God is merciful. And every one of us sinners should be very thankful for that. Amen.