Fatherly Compassion

"The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Psalm 103:10-14

A good father is sensitive to the relationship he shares with his child.  It is his desire to train and discipline, but always with the intention of preserving the bond.  Too hard and the connection will be broken under the strain.  Too soft and the respect weakens.  God shows such fatherly compassion to me as His child.

Sin.  I could be a big disappointment to God.  After all, He made me for relationship with Him yet I fail to live life the way He created me to live (Romans 3:23).  I often go my own way, stubbornly refusing His advances and willfully attempt life on my own, under my terms with the goal of pleasing myself.  

Still, His love preserved the bond between He and I by designing a plan for redemption (Titus 2:14).  Out of His love for me and a desire to protect the Father/child relationship, He offered His own Son as a sacrifice to atone for my sins (Romans 5:8).  Now, through faith in Jesus Christ, my sins have been forgiven, removed from me as if I were Jesus, the One without sin (John 3:16-17, Isaiah 1:18).

Therefore, when my Father looks upon me, the wrath is gone, the disappointment doesn't exist, there is no disgust in my choices.  Instead, all that remains is love, and it is the greatest of all powers (1 Corinthians 13:13)!

God shows His fatherly compassion by loving me enough to give His own Son in order to preserve our relationship.

Comfort.  The news was difficult.  To hear he would never drive again, that his freedom had been snatched away, a piece of his identity destroyed was the worst news of his hard life.  How could he bear the thought of never getting out on his motorcycle to enjoy the scenery along the open road?  There was nothing the daughter could say to her dad to give him comfort.  Instead, she relied upon the Father of compassion to do the consoling (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

No one can comfort like our Father can.  He knows exactly what each of us needs to hear, and He has His ways of giving just what each of His children need in order to encourage, uplift, and give a hopeful outlook.  

When all seems lost, His supernatural compassion soothes my aching heart, binding up my wounds and setting the hurts to healing.  When the pain is so great, He mysteriously brings relief and shows me a glimpse of His heart for me.  When I feel I cannot carry on, He strengthens my resolve and gives me a fresh outlook on life.  

God shows His fatherly compassion by comforting me in ways only possible for Him as my Father.

Sanctification.  He loves me too much to leave me as I am.  It is God's desire as my Father to grow me in grace, to purify me for His purposes, to lead me through a life-long process that chisels away more and more of me to make way for more and more of Him.  It is His desire that I resemble His Son when the process is complete (1 Thessalonians 5:23, Colossians 3:4, 1 John 3:2).

Therefore, as a daughter of a compassionate Father such as this, I can expect to be molded through difficult experiences, shaped into Christ-likeness through the hard things I endure in faith, formed into the Jesus model by every life-moment (Romans 8:29).  Nothing is wasted in God's kingdom, for He uses it all to transform me into the woman I'm meant to be.

God shows His fatherly compassion by walking me through the life-long sanctification process that ends at the glory of His Son.

Many of us do not know what good fathering looks like, but as we grow in our relationship with our heavenly Father, we learn what it means to have a good Father.  He preserves my relationship through His plan of redemption, comforting me as only He can, and takes me through a life-long process of sanctification.  In these ways, I experience fatherly compassion at its best!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough as my Father to let Him comfort me when things are hard.

When do I attempt to live my own life instead of cooperating with the sanctification process my Father loves me enough to walk me through?

How do I live as if my sin defines me instead of living as the one who has been set free? 

Heart of God

"'My son,' the father said,

'you are always with me,

and everything I have is yours.

But we had to celebrate and be glad,

because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again;

he was lost and is found.'"

Luke 15:31-32

The boy wanted it all.  He was tired of being under his father's thumb; Can't Dad see I'm ready to take on the world?  Why won't he trust me?  he thought.  He had everything he needed, yet it wasn't enough.  What he really wanted was freedom, liberty to spread his wings and find his own way in the world.  I am ready, and I'll prove it to him. 

He was a little surprised his dad gave him his portion of the inheritance.  The eighteen-year-old boy convinced the man that he knew what was best for his life.  Now that he had the money is his bank account, however, it was a little overwhelming.  He decided to take a trip overseas to blow off a little steam before he settled down into preparing for a career.

Much to his chagrin, the boy spent way more than he intended and soon found himself out of money and stranded in Europe. He managed to hitch a ride home on a freighter, working in the galley washing dishes for the sailors and seamen.  Once he made it home, he vowed to never take his father's house for granted.

A week later, he was walking up the driveway toward his home and soon he saw his father running down the lane to meet him.  Wow.  Dad is really glad to see me.  I thought he'd be mad and give me a lecture about blowing my money, but he must really be happy I'm home.

The story of the prodigal son is such a beautiful illustration of God's love, mercy and grace for me, the wayward sinner.  God takes me back as quickly and without question as the father in the story does for his son.  Not only that, it strikes me that the response of the dad to the other, obedient son shows the heart of God.  God is merciful, compassionate and relational.  As a daughter in His family, these should be important characteristics in my life, as well.

Mercy

"That's not fair!"  When working with children, one often hears this phrase.  It's not only children who cry it out in frustration when things don't go their way, though.  I often hear when tragedy strikes that, "She was a good person.  She didn't deserve this."  Another occasion when this sentiment is expressed is when someone is laid off from work or loses their health insurance or goes through some other unforeseen difficulty.  Our first thought is that we should get what we deserve, and since we are fairly good people on the whole, we should receive good things.

Unfortunately, no one is ever as good as they think.  I can think I deserve better because I only compare myself to criminals, prostitutes, drug addicts or other such, "real sinners."  In this way, I can measure up to my own standards and turn out feeling pretty good about myself.  But when I place myself side-by-side with Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, I cannot stand.  I fall way short, as every human does. (Romans 3:23)

Because of this shortfall, I deserve nothing good.  In fact, God says that what my sin really earns is death.  (Romans 6:23)  He says that I can't earn life no matter how hard I try to be good.  I'll never meet His High standard of perfection.  

The heart of God, however, is revealed by David as he praised the Lord, saying, "he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10)  If I got what I deserved, I wouldn't be standing here today.  Instead, God gives me life.  

Since God does not give me what I deserve, why do I find it so necessary to make sure others "get what's coming to them?"  My need to put people in their place runs contrary to the heart of God.  He is all about extending mercy, giving second chances, and believing the best of His people.  As His daughter, there should be some kind of family resemblance.  

When a cashier or coworker is harsh with me, instead of succumbing to the temptation to chastise their attitude, I could give them a smile and a kind word of encouragement.  On the days when a driver cuts me off when I'm late for an appointment, instead of ranting and raving about their horrible driving skills and inconsiderate behavior, I could send up a prayer for them.  For the times when I'm faced once again with a door-to-door cult-peddler, instead of trying to show them where they're wrong I could try to get to know them and offer to take a moment to pray with them.

God doesn't give me what I really earn, and as His daughter I can also extend mercy to those around me, even though they don't deserve it.

Compassion

Her eyes were cold and she refused to take the flyer I offered to her.  The woman muttered, "I don't live around here." and walked purposefully past me, intentionally keeping her hands at her sides as I continued to hold out the paper bearing the image of a beautiful, innocent 15-year-old girl.  Gabbiee Swainson had been missing for seven weeks, abducted cruelly from her bed while she slept.  My daughters and I were spending some time canvassing local areas to get the word out about her disappearance, making sure people didn't forget Gabbiee.

Much to my surprise, a few people reacted as this woman did; with complete disregard for the plight of this girl.  Jesus said the sign that He would soon be coming would be that the hearts of many would grow cold, but to see it in such a palpable way unnerved me. (Matthew 24:12)

Unlike the rest of humanity, Jesus was known for His compassion.  When He met someone who was hurting, like the Samaritan woman at the well, He interacted with her in a loving and kind way.  He didn't sidestep the truth, but His love always won out.  (John 4:1-26)  He offered what He knew she needed: living, healing water.

In the same way, He always takes me back no matter what I've done.  When I vow to follow Him it doesn't mean I'll be perfect from then on.  No, I still deal with sin and need a continual flow of His grace in my life to help me live for Him.  Once a sinner, always a sinner.  My need for Jesus only grows over time as He makes me more and more aware of my shortcomings.  But His compassion shines through when He shows that He still considers me to be His daughter.  He doesn't disown me when I cross a certain line, fall one too many times, or fail to obey as He's said.  Instead, He takes me back.

My prayer can be, as Bob Pierce said, to "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God."  As I see the suffering all around me, some blatant but most hidden, I can act as Jesus did, with a heart to point the hurting back to their Creator.  Only He can heal a broken heart, repair a deep-seated wound or mend a tumultuous relationship.  A heart led by compassion will see with the eyes of God instead of the irritable, impatient and cold eyes of man. 

Leighton Ford, an evangelist who has worked closely with Billy Graham, is known to have said, "God loves us the way we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way."  It is important to give God a chance to act, and to not think that I need to do his work for Him.  He does a much better job at pointing out sin in our lives.  For this reason, my job is to kindly and considerately guide a brother or sister back to our Father so He can do His purifying work.  

The compassion of God is best demonstrated in His love for me and His willingness to sacrifice His Son in order to deliver me from eternal suffering.

Relationship

Most people who have a family want to enjoy their company as much as possible.  This is not more evident than in the life of my mother who lives far way from her children and grandchildren.  It takes effort and resources to get everyone together for a holiday or special event.  My mother's heart, however, is always focused on being together.

God, too, is all about relationship.  He wants His family close and desires my company above all other things.  My obedience to His calling and teachings demonstrates my love for Him because it shows I trust Him enough to do as He says. (John 14:23)  The time I spend with Him also shows that He is a priority and that His love for me is reciprocal.  I can only love because He first loved me.  (1 John 4:19)

For this reason, people should be more important to me than their behavior.  The well-being of my relationships should supersede my desire to be right.  It could be my highest priority to live at peace with everyone.  (Romans 12:18)

God has given me enough grace to bear with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2-3)  It takes a heart for relationships, however, to cut others a break, drop high expectations and let them walk their own walk.  As I pray for those around me, God will give me the eyes to see what's important to Him and how He is at work all around me.

My relationship with God is what is important to Him, and I can adopt this same outlook as well.

My God is a God of mercy, compassion and relationship.  Many times, however, I do not follow suit.  Instead, I tend to be ruthless, cold and all about me.  As I get closer to God and get to know Him, though, He begins to reveal His hallmark traits in my own life.  In this way, my Father will be glorified as I trust Him more and more each passing day and as He cultivates in me a heart like His own.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can drop my own point of view and ask God for His.

How do I tend to cut people off when they don't live up to my standards?

When is it hard for me to show compassion to those who are suffering?   

Living Hope

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
   his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
    "therefore I will hope in him."

Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV)

Have Mercy!  Remember the childhood game of "Mercy," where two players would face each other, grasp hands with palms together and push with all their might, trying to force the other's wrist back?  When the pain became unbearable, a player would declare defeat by yelling, "Mercy" and hope their opponent would let go, thus relieving the pain.  Unfortunately, children (or adults for that matter) do not always have compassion for those under their power and would sometimes continue the pressure, thus prolonging the pain.  There were some kids everyone knew to stay away from when it came to playing Mercy!

Give Thanks Thankfully, the Lord our God does not have this same characteristic.  He is a God of mercy, many times not giving what we deserve, or withholding punishment we have earned.  In this season of Thanksgiving, I want to give thanks for our God of mercy.

His Mercy is Great  David knew well of God's mercy as he had received it countless times.  Later in his reign,  David made the mistake of taking a census to see how many troops he possessed, forgetting what he had believed as a lad with five smooth stones and a sling standing foolishly against a giant. At that time, when Saul told him how absurd it was for a mere boy to go against the mighty warrior of Goliath, David proclaimed, "The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1Samuel 17:37)  After the census incident, David confessed his foolishness of depending on the might of his army instead of his God, and the Lord gave him three options for punishment.  Either his people would suffer three years of famine, he would run from his enemies for three months, or there would be three days of plagues in the land.  David replied, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” (2 Samuel 24:14)  David knew the Lord is a God of mercy and would rather put himself into God's hands rather than mans'. 

Mercy is His  The Israelites experienced the mercy of God many times while wandering in the desert.  They were described by God as a "stiff-necked people," constantly turning away from Him and to their own wicked ways.  On one particular occasion, when Moses returned from the mountain with the Ten Commandments, the people were worshipping a golden calf and God's anger burned against them, desiring to kill the entire nation of Israel and start over with Moses.  God relented, for His own namesake and to preserve His promise, and instead punished them with a plague for their sin.  Then, He reminded Moses that,"I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." (Exodus 33:19) Mercy belongs to God, and only He decides when He uses it.  I must always remember that I live in a constant state of being at God's mercy.

Mercy Brings Hope   The greatest act of mercy God ever committed was in sending His Son to die on the cross, taking the punishment we deserve for our sins.  The apostle Peter understood this well, as evidenced by the opening lines of his first letter to the believers scattered throughout the land during the time of the early church.  He wrote, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade." (1 Peter 1:3-4)  We now have the hope of heaven and a relationship with a holy God thanks to this great act of mercy!

Mercy of a Loving God  I can never thank God enough for the mercy He has shown me.  I like how English poet, lawyer and priest John Donne described the mercy of God.  "We are God's tenants here, and yet here he, our landlord, pays us rents-not yearly, nor quarterly, but hourly and quarterly; every minute he renews his mercy."  Everything we hold dear; our life, health, family, friends, are all due to God's great mercies!

As I begin this day and prepare for Thanksgiving, it is my prayer that I can keep God's mercies fresh in my mind, retaining a spirit of thankfulness throughout the day.

Where have I held an attitude of entitlement, expecting mercy where it is not mine to assume?

How have I been unmerciful to others?