Romans 11:11 (NKJV)

“I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”

In a strange way, God uses the downfall of one person to bring about the lifting up of another, after which He again raises him up who had fallen. Israel stumbled and through their stumbling in darkness and their rejection of the truth, the light of salvation spread beyond them into the Gentile world. And yet, in the future times and seasons appointed by God, even Israel shall find faith and be reconciled back to God. When Israel rejected the Messiah, God opened up the hearts of the Gentile world to accept Him, even as a provocation to Israel that they may see the benefits of following the Messiah, and be willing to embrace Him.

In the same manner, God may allow another to stumble so that you may be elevated, but don’t rejoice over him who stumbled. If God used his stumbling to bring you into prominence, promotion or prosperity, remember that God did it for a purpose and for a season. Be mindful of why God has blessed you in the stead of someone else, and still pray that he who stumbled is raised up again. God’s strategy can be strange at times but He permits the stumbling of one to be the elevation of the other. Let’s respect His strategy even if we don’t understand it, but we must never gloat over him who stumbled.

“Lord, I don’t ask that any should stumble for me to be raised up, but if that’s how You want to elevate me, keep my heart humble and keep me prayerful for the one who stumbled, in Jesus name. Amen.”