Compassion to all, even...

God has compassion on all he has made. The goodness and greatness of God is demonstrated in his compassion that is undeserved, unearned and frankly rejected. 

When Jesus walked this earth "he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). These were people who would turn on him and turn him over to be crucified. Yet, he still had compassion on them. He died for the sins of everyone. He has not changed. His compassion continues.

We too should have compassion for all. Not just for those who need us, those who can't hurt us, but, even for those who, dying in their own sins, hate us...

Remember the Benefits

Praise the Lord, my soul;

   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul,

   and forget not all his benefits—

Psalms 103:1-2 NIV

The benefits knowing and serving Christ are many. Forgiveness, healing, redemption, his holiness for ours, and many more. Now, think for a moment of the fruit of those benefits. 

The benefits of forgiveness are not just that we don't go to hell. Forgiveness becomes a part of all our relationships. We forgive because Christ first forgave us. Forgiveness keeps our relationships open and alive. Without the benefit of forgiveness our relationships suffer separation and deadness. The benefits of forgiveness, the fruit that results from it, are at the very core of abiding in Christ.

Let me ask you. What are the fruits of all the benefits of knowing Christ that you have experienced or are experiencing? His healing, redemption, love, compassion and... How are you benefiting from these? 

What Do You Want Blotted Out From Your Life?

Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to you unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
   blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
   and cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 51:1-2

David was definitely a sinner. This Psalm is not a Psalm of praise. It is not just a plea for forgiveness, it's a cry from David to God asking God to remove the guilt of the sin he had committed. He knew he sinned. He realized the devastation his actions had produced. He wanted God to blot out his transgressions,  wash away all his iniquity and cleanse him from his sins. 

Not to justify or minimize any sin, but to emphasize the mercy of God I want us to remember that we are all sinners. Haven't we all wished that God would blot out some things - sin - from our lives. 

The amazing thing is that even though David did reap some negative things, the Lord still completed his purposes. The Messianic line  still prevailed and Christ was still born, died for our sins and rose again. 

You may want God to blot something out of your life. The truth is, God will accomplish his will because he is Sovereign, merciful, his love is unfailing and he has great compassion toward you! 

Justice is...

This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.

Zechariah 7:9-10

True justice begins with mercy and compassion. That is why the center of our faith is the redemptive work of Christ upon the cross. In that, the ultimate act of mercy and compassion, true justice was dealt for all of mankind. 

Unless we understand our own incredible need for the mercy and compassion of God in Christ we will look judgmentally down upon those less fortunate than us. The problem with the idea of karma is that people get what they deserve and that's the end of the story. Many Christians get that way with "you reap what you sow" and forget about mercy and compassion. They forget that all have fallen short of the glory of God. None is righteous, no not one. 

So what's the point today? Be merciful and compassionate when seeking justice. When you see that oppressed see them through the eyes of someone who needs God's mercy and compassion. My grandmother used to say (when she saw someone less fortunate than her), "There, but by the grace of God, go I." 

NOT JUST A PART OF THE CROWD

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
   slow to anger and rich in love. 
The Lord is good to all;
   he has compassion on all he has made.
All your works praise you, Lord;
   your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom 
   and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts 
   and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures through all generations.
Psalms 145:8-13 (NIV)

The Lord is good to who? Not just everyone, you! 

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I am just one guy in the crowd, in the back, hidden behind some giant of a person. But God sees me and knows me. He sees you, hidden where you are, but not out of his sight. His grace and compassion is not just for everyone else, it is for you. 

AM I PATIENT YET?

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James 5:10-11 (NIV)

I don't know about you, but for me, patience in any situation is hard, let alone in the face of suffering. I think it's hard because we can't see the end. All we can see is the here and now. God works from eternity. 

In the book of Job we start out with a view from eternity seeing behind the scenes that Jobs sufferings were not because he was sinful but because he was  a righteous man and the devil was trying to prove that he could make him turn from God if the right amount of suffering was applied. After it all God blessed Job more than before. 

The bottom line is that no matter what we are feeling or experiencing, God is full of compassion and mercy. God longs to be gracious to us and will rise up to show us compassion (see Isaiah 30:18). 

We can't see the end from the beginning, but we know that God does and he is working all things out for the good for those who love him. You are loved by him.

Father, thank you for your love for us. Open our eyes to see you in our lives. Praise be to you in us today!

GOD TO YOU: WHERE ARE YOU?

"Have mercy on me, O God,
     according to your unfailing love;
 according to your great compassion
     blot out my transgressions.
 Wash away all my iniquity
     and cleanse me from my sin."
 Psalm 51:1-2

Have you ever had someone tell you they were sorry for something and you said, "That's all right, forget about it"? We've all done that and probably had someone say that to us. The deal is that sometimes issues need to be dealt with and simply saying "That's all right, forget about it" can lead someone to believe that they can repeat the behavior. 

God is holy and he is perfectly just. Sin, my sin, your sin is not just swept under a rug, so to speak. In Christ Jesus our sins were not pushed out of view, the punishment was served by Christ. God, in his great  compassion knew that we could never right the wrong of our sins and so he sent his one and only Son to die in our place. Now we have eternal access to the Father through the Son. 

Way back in the garden of Eden the LORD God called out, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9). He stills calls out to us in Christ, "Where are you?" God, the Creator of the Universe, sent his Son so that we can have a relationship with him. 

Father, thank you for your compassion. Thank you that Jesus died in my place that I can call you Father. Praise be to you in us today!