OUR COMPASSIONATE HEAVENLY FATHER

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children — with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.

Psalm 103:13-18

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we consider the ways of the Lord, perhaps the one thing we should always remain focused on is the matter of His compassion for us. Indeed, there is no one who cares for us more than our heavenly Father, who loves His children with all the tender love of a parent – and not just any parent but a perfect one.

Consider what God’s word has to say about God’s compassion:

The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. Psalm 116:5

The Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. Isaiah 30:18

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

It’s that last passage that I love so very much mostly because I am reminded that I am frail and vulnerable before the Lord. Because of my sinfulness, I deserve destruction, to be consumed by God’s wrath but I am spared because my Father is compassionate and merciful in a way that the scripture in Lamentations tells us is unfailing and new and fresh every day. Such is the faithfulness the Lord has for us.

Knowing the Lord holds our very life in His hands should humble us and lead us into a respectful fear of Him, the One who crafted us with His very hands and the One who will remove us from this earthly existence at His appointed time.

David surely had this same mindset as revealed in his words at the conclusion of the 103rd Psalm. Look at what he had to say about God’s compassion:

As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children — with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.

I remember when I grew up. I had a deep respect for my father and he demanded and commanded that respect from me. I made my share of mistakes like any young person growing up but I remember how my father (and mother) always disciplined me with compassion. They often showed mercy and grace and forgiveness when I didn’t deserve it and when they did have to render consequences, they didn’t do so because they loved me less. Rather, they did so because they loved me more and wanted me to become the best man I could be.

Our relationship with our Father in Heaven is much like this, except He is the perfect Father and we are to give Him our upmost respect. As we walk through life, trying to follow His will, we will stumble and fail and fall and, at times, need correction. And it’s during these times that we often see God’s unfailing compassions displayed the most. You see, the Lord understands we are sinners and prone to mistakes and so He nurtures us with a patience that is not of this world and leads us ever toward His righteousness and will and way.

We would be well served to heed our Father’s guidance, to obey His precepts and keep our covenant with Him, for we are not here on earth forever. As David mentioned, we are formed from dust (Genesis 2:7) and our worldly lives are not designed to last. No, like the grass, we will flourish for a time and then die off and be gone. We are to do everything in our power to serve the God who breathed life into us and develops us with compassion and love from that point forward.

That would be good enough right? Wouldn’t it be good enough just to live life from beginning to end with God’s love and compassion ever upon us?

But it doesn’t end there. That’s the good news for us, not just in the new year, but every year. For in His infinite love and compassion, God wished that we might be able to live with Him forever after death. He made a way for us to be with Him forever instead of returning to the dust He formed us from.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Our compassionate, loving Father sent His only Son to die for us on Calvary’s cross and then rise to sit at His right hand on the third day. Christ’s resurrection paved the way for all of us to follow, leaving the dust behind to live with God and Jesus forever. Thus as David describes, we, through faith and trust in Christ, get to experience our Father’s love, not just in this worldly life but from everlasting to everlasting. And that is something we all should want.

Friends, as Christians, we are to celebrate Jesus and the hope He brought us, a hope born from the Father who loves us so compassionately. Although we deserved death, instead He provided us life and life abundantly. And you don’t get any more abundant than eternal.

All praise, honor, and glory to God and His Son Jesus, the only One who which we can be saved and the only One we can go through to reach the Father (John 14:6).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com