'compassion' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Psalm 145:1-8…“The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” vs. 8 As we read through the Hebrew scriptures it is stunning to note how often the theme of God’s grace and mercy shows up. It seems that the psalmists and prophets never tired of reminding people that the Lord was slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. And from what we read about Jesus in the gospels it’s obvious that he had absorbed…
Daily Devotions
Jonah 4:5-11…“Then the LORD said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.’” vs. 9 The truth came out in the end. Jonah didn’t really care about the people of Ninevah, what he got angry about was the death of the bush which had been giving him shade from the sun! And the Lord knew it! This story…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:21-27…“Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.’” vss. 21- 22 People who live by faith have come to believe that their relationship to God is totally dependent on God’s unconditional love and never-ending mercy. Even though we live in a broken world, by God’s grace we…
Daily Devotions
Romans 13:8-10..“Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8 There is nothing better in this flawed world than to love one another! That was Paul’s conclusion as he neared the end of his long and sometimes tedious letter to the Romans, and it has been the central teaching of every authentic religious leader ever since. Of course, having affirmed the centrality of love, there remains a lot…
Daily Devotions
Romans 11:30-32…“For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.” vs. 32 While Paul is to be cherished and admired for his remarkable apostolic ministry, we can’t help but wish that his writings were easier to understand. Sometimes we have particular difficulty as he explains his insights on God’s relationship to the Jews. He obviously cared deeply about his people, and wanted to clarify their place in salvation history. The problem is that the…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 14:15-21…“Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” vs. 19 Most everyone knows the gospel story of the miraculous feeding of the 5000 people beside the Sea of Galilee. It was obviously one of the more significant acts of Jesus’ ministry. It’s mentioned…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 14:13-14…“Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.” vs. 13 When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been killed, he withdrew to a deserted place where he could be alone. He needed time for reflection and prayer. But when the crowds had heard the news of John’s death, they wanted to be with Jesus,…
Daily Devotions
Romans 9:1-2…“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” vss. 1-2 After speaking of the incredible love of God in Christ Jesus, Paul’s tone shifts as he continues his letter to the Romans. He knows that large numbers of Jews are refusing to acknowledge Jesus as the messiah and their rejection is causing him extreme anguish–his heart is aching for his…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 86:14-17…“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” vs.15 Sometimes it’s hard to know how we could get so messed up in the way we think about God. Admittedly there are some verses in our scriptures that can be misleading or easily misinterpreted, but for the most part the testimony of the prophets and of Jesus echoes the teaching of this anonymous psalmist. Troubled and paranoid as…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 145:11-14…“The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.” vs. 14 According to the scriptures, our world is both good and broken at the same time. That’s a truth we experience every day of our lives, And the psalmist tells us here that the One who brought this world into existence and who continues to sustain it, has a particular love for lifting up all who are falling and raising up all who…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 145:8-12…“The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.” vss. 8-9 There are several passages in scripture that refer to the anger and the judgment of God. In some verses the Lord is even portrayed as being cruel and vindictive, particularly to the enemies of Israel. For example, again and again the armies of Israel were ordered by…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 10:40-41…“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” vs. 40 In Matthew’s account Jesus’ instructions to the disciples that he sent out in mission are lengthy and precise. He emphasizes the cost of discipleship and lets them know that there will be difficult sacrifices, but he ends his little sermon with some words of reassurance and hope. As insignificant as they may feel, they have an important role, and whoever welcomes them…