God of compassion

Posted byLinda ColbyPosted incompassion, God’s love, mercy, disapline, grace

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.

Psalm 145:8

My husband and I were enjoying an evening out, at one of our favorite restaurants, when a baby and his Father caught my attention. The baby looked to be about 18 months old, and you could tell he was not feeling well. He had a cough and was acting fussy.

Several times he would knock his food off his tray in frustration, and each time the father aggressively picked him up, walked a little ways away and had a firm talk with him. He stuck his face, in his face, reminding him, that’s not how we eat our food (I assume), I couldn’t really hear what he said.

The whole situation was so distressing to me. How was the baby to communicate he was feeling lousy and didn’t want to eat? I thought pushing the food on the floor was a good idea. I know I feel that way at times.

As I thought about the father’s reaction to his disobedient son, I was reminded of the Lord’s reaction to my own transgressions. Not once, in my many years of rebellion and sin against the Lord has He ever stuck His face in mine, with aggression, and shamed me.

The Lord gently comes along side me and reveals to me the error of my ways. As He continues to show me His love through my foolish actions, my heart becomes grieved by my sin. I am humbled by the Lord’s gracious and compassionate love for me, and I fall to my knees in repentance and sorrow for my wrong actions.

How thankful I am for the Lord’s kindness and patience with me. He does not seek obedience through fear of consequences. He desires a relationship of love and because we love Him, we rejoice in obeying Him.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your patient and compassionate love for me. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to you and to show mercy to others.

Published by Linda Colby

Linda has been a Bible teacher in a national women's ministry for the past 14 years, overseeing and leading women of all ages and their children in their pursuit of growing in the knowledge and understanding of the Word and deepening their relationships in Jesus Christ. She is now involved with the new ministry “The Encouraging Word”. She has a Masters in Bible and Theology from Western Seminary and works with a team to write Bible studies that will encourage, teach, counsel and grow men and women in relationship to God and to one another.

3 thoughts on “God of compassion”

  2. Parent/child discord is a pervasive and heartbreaking reality, one that cuts me to my core. Thank you for the beautiful reminder of how God covers it with His compassion. This is a humble and important reminder for me, and I’m sure, for many. Thank you, Linda!

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