'compassion' Tagged Posts (Page 2)
Daily Devotions
“The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” vs. 20 Psalm 145:14-21 When we read our scriptures we are tempted to take to heart the verses that we agree with and totally discount those with which we have issues. And we’re not alone. Nearly all people are adept at cherry picking as they study the bible, loving the parts that support positions they already hold, and ignoring those that don’t. The psalmist who…
Daily Devotions
The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.” vs. 9 Psalm 145:8-9 These few words from the psalmist contain all the truth that we humans will ever need to hear, and it’s undoubtedly the best news ever, yet we find it enormously hard to believe in our hearts. Oh, we don’t mind hearing that the Lord is good to us, and that God’s compassion includes us. We actually welcome that good news,…
Daily Devotions
Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl.” vs. 16 Psalm 86:14-17 The psalmist was in a tough spot. He had enemies, ruffians who were indifferent to the Lord, and they were seeking his life. At the end of his rope he pleads for God’s intervention and rescue, asking for strength in his time of trouble. He had been trained from his youth that God could be…
Daily Devotions
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.” vs. 13 Psalm 145:11-14 The psalmist uses royal imagery in talking about God, and his metaphors seem inadequate to people of our day. But for him they worked just fine. The Lord was like the most wonderful king who could ever be imagined, and his kingdom would endure forever. And while we may…
Daily Devotions
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 Psalm 145:8-10 For many in the United States the Fourth of July is a time for speeches, flag waving, and family gatherings–a festive day, often capped off in the evening with concerts and fireworks. Some will recall the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence, and there will…
Daily Devotions
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” vs. 36 Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus had been overwhelmed by the crowds that he encountered as he began his ministry in Galilee. Everywhere he went they flocked to hear his words and be touched by his healing hands, and his heart was filled with compassion. If we’ve ever wondered about our mission as his followers, there really can be no…
Daily Devotions
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” vs. 8 Acts 1:6-14 For a couple of decades following his death and resurrection, followers of Jesus eagerly anticipated his return in glory to complete what he had begun. They were still looking for the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. But when Luke wrote his gospel…
Daily Devotions
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” vss. 1-2 John 9:1-7 It was natural for the disciples to have questions about the blind man. In their world, a person blind from birth would be an anomaly, and they wanted to know how and why things like this occurred. There had to be a cause, and they strongly believed that…
Daily Devotions
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.” vss. 1-3 Psalm 23 When Samuel’s one-person pastoral search committee led him to select the boy-shepherd, David, as the next king of Israel, he established a job description for godly leaders that will persist for all time. The prophets regularly described the kings…
Daily Devotions
But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.” vs. 5 Romans 4:1-5 It’s been pretty well accepted by folks nowadays that works are no advantage in our relationship with God. We’ve sung “Amazing Grace” so many times, in every setting, that we’ve pretty much taken it to heart. Since God has justified the ungodly, there’s even hope for a wretch like me. The bigger question for us is the matter…
Daily Devotions
Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.” vs. 1 Psalm 119:1-8 The psalmist obviously believed that it was possible to walk in the way of the Lord by keeping all of the law’s ordinances and commandments. He says that such persons would be blameless and receive the gift of happiness. While there are few people among us who are concerned about keeping all the precepts of the law, there are those who…
Daily Devotions
Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap…” vss. 5-7 Psalm 113 The psalmist can scarcely contain himself as he sings a song of praise to the Lord his God, the One who is greater than anything that can even be imagined. In his effort to show just how mighty God…