APRIL 17

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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1Peter 1:3

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Psalm 86:15

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,

Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”

Psalm 86:15

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”

James 5:11

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

Hebrews 4:14

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”

Psalm 18:25

“With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;”

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Our book for this month  is called “100 NAMES OF GOD”  written by Christopher D. Hudson.  Each day we’ll take one Hebrew name for God as given in the Bible to study and relate to.

EL RACHAM

THE COMPASSIONATE GOD

Exodus 34:5-6

“Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord, 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.”

The Old Testament – except for a few Aramaic chapters in the books of Ezra, Jeremiah and Daniel – is written entirely in Hebrew.  Hebrew is a beautiful language with rich words that often contain nuances our English versions can’t convey.

For instance, the Hebrew word RACHAM is usually translated “compassionate or “merciful.”  That’s an accurate rendering of the term.  However, RACHAM is also related to the same root word that is translated “womb.”  Add RACHAM’S meaning to its etymology and you get the picture of the affection and care an expectant mother has for the new life growing inside her.  This is what Biblical COMPASSION is, and these insights give us a more complete understanding of our compassionate God.

He’s a God of care and kindness.  He remembers.  He’s empathetic and tender.  He hurts when those He loves are hurting.  But divine compassion doesn’t just stop with concern.  God doesn’t just feel badly for those in trouble.  He’s protective.  He swings into action to defend His own.

God’s compassion can affect our lives in two distinct ways:  It should give us confidence in His promises, and it should fill us with compassion for others.  When Jesus told His disciples to love others, He was telling them to show others the compassion that God had shown them.  God’s power isn’t only seen in his ability to control and exert His will.  Often it’s most clearly seen through acts of mercy, kindness and love.

What does the gospel tell us?  If someone is lonely, sit with him.  If someone is thirsty, give her something to drink.  If someone is cold, give him a blanket.  If someone is homeless, take her under your roof.  If someone doesn’t know about Jesus, tell them the Good News.  Tell that person about the compassionate God.

We are best able to show compassion when we have first been on the receiving end of divine compassion

In what ways have you experienced the compassion of God?  How can you offer it to others?

PRAYER

EL RACHAM, MY COMPASSIONATE GOD, please melt my heart and flood my heart with Your compassion.  Then let it be a source of kindness, care, and concern for all I meet.  Amen

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