Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 8: Compassion”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Did you know that “compassion” was one of the first adjectives God used to describe himself?
Exodus 34:5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”
What is ironic about this statement is it follows immediately on the heels of the people of Israel turning to Aaron to make a golden calf in the absence of Moses who was with the Lord receiving the commands and directives from the Lord.
Moses heads back up the mountain with a second set of stones as he broke the original ones when he saw the people worshipping a calf. You would think that God would forget about mercy, forget about love, forget about compassion to a people who was outright rebelling against him.
Yet that is at the heart of God’s heart: compassion – mercy for those who haven’t merited it and a willingness to show it even though the recipients haven’t deserved it.
Yesterday during the message I showed this video. For the rest of your devotion today, I invite you to watch it. It’s a wonderful summary of what it means that your God is compassionate…to you! Simply reflect on how you have benefitted from the compassion of God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJEtyAiAQik
Apply: When you reflect on God being a compassionate God, how have you been the recipient of his compassion?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for being compassionate and merciful. My actions deserve your scorn and judgment, yet you have chosen to show me your love and forgiveness because of your Son Jesus. Let me soak in your compassion and learn to show the same to others in my life. AMEN.