The Far-Reaching Compassion of God
Last Sunday at the beginning of our first revival service, Pastor Mike shared with us Psalm 103, something God had spoken to Him and placed upon His heart. God keeps bringing it back to my heart and mind. There is something embedded deep in the truths David lays out in his psalm. To me, again and again, he speaks to the great and far-reaching compassion of God.
We’ve all experienced a sense of compassion inside for another person, or a cause, or a plight. We know what it is to feel that intense tugging of our hearts, a twisting and pulling if you will, that consumes us and often points us in the direction of action and/or encouragement toward another. But sometimes, it can be difficult to imagine that God feels that way toward us.
It’s easy to perceive God as far-off…somewhere in some undisclosed distance, but actually, He is very close and very, very well-acquainted with our every need. He so intimately knows us and our every longing, pain, hurt, joy, fear, and hope, and He not only sees us in our condition, but He is intensely moved with compassion toward us. God’s heart actually feels a tugging, a twisting, and pulling toward us, and longs to give us relief, comfort, and to bless us with good gifts.
As the psalm starts out, David uses some very significant verbs to describe what benefits God’s compassion provides—He forgives us, heals us, redeems us, crowns us, and satisfies us. Take a look at these in context: “…who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (vs 3-5) And He even, “…works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” (vs 6)
Wow! But it doesn’t stop there. David says, “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.” (vs 8-10) In fact in verses 11 and 12, David goes on to describe how great God’s love is and how far His forgiveness goes…
And my personal favorite…verses 13 and 14—especially 14: “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.” …He remembers that we are dust… He remembers those early moments in creation when He formed Adam…from dust, and He knows just how frail we really are, and yet…the Creator of the universe that merely spoke things into being and they were, and could crush us if He so desired with a single thought,…this same God deeply, deeply loves us and is moved to profound compassion over us…enough to send His One and Only Son to die for our redemption so that we may be where He is someday. What an incomprehensible but Divine and Amazing Love.
Today, take heart. Remember that the God who sees all and knows all loves you so very much. And let’s take the time to ask Him for opportunities to tell others and share with others His beautiful and far-reaching love and compassion.
Katie Botello
FBC Aztec Member