Never rush to conclusion on issues! Do not pass judgment hastily as you may not have all the information. The book of Proverbs caps this: “Listen before you speak, for to speak before you’ve heard the facts will bring humiliation.” Proverbs 18:13 TPT. The people of Malta ran foul of this wise counsel in their verdict on Paul. Through divine intervention, he and others in the vessel escaped a near death situation. However, when he gathered sticks to build fire and ward off the cold, a venomous viper twisted around his hand. The islanders jumped to the conclusion we read in our text. They concluded that Paul was a murderer. Paul obviously escaped a shipwreck, but he was far from being a murderer as they thought. When people go through tough times, the least thing you will want to do is to add to their misery through uncouth statements. If you cannot pray for them, do not join the company of those who take pleasure in the misfortunes of others.
Negative words are hurtful. So are uninformed judgments. When people have a streak of tough times, we may be tempted to think that they are being punished for some misdeeds or miscalculations. That may be far from the truth. Even when people’s tough situations are traceable to some wrongdoings, it is not our place to run them down. Not even when an enemy is having a rough time are you permitted to rejoice. “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles”. Proverbs 24:17 NKJV. If we are forbidden from rejoicing over the fall of an enemy, what right has anyone to rejoice at the misfortune of a child of God? The least you can do is pray for quick restoration for such people.
