Tag: compassion
Jesus and compassion!
Scripture reading for January 23rd: Matthew 15:29-39, Psalm 17:8-15, Proverbs 4:10-17
Compassion ministries are making a comeback in many evangelical churches. Many churches are visiting the sick and helpless, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and clothing those who are needy. These ministries have their source in the heart of Jesus Christ, Himself. Jesus was known for His compassion on hurting and hungry people. Compassion might be defined as love in action. We demonstrate true love by acting in faith to meet needs as God directs!
“Great crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at His feet: and He healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, and the lame walking and blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.” (Matthew 15:30-31) Jesus showed compassion and great love by healing all who came to Him. The miracles were drawing crowds of people that all needed the message of repentance! His heart’s desire was to see them made whole so He also preached the good news of the kingdom, calling them to repent. The result was worship of God!
“Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people: they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.’ “ (Matthew 15:32) The heart of Jesus is clear here in His words and following actions. He was concerned about their need for food to sustain them on their journey. He cared for them enough to do something. He asked what was available: 7 loaves of bread and a few fish. He took this and blessed it and broke it, giving it to the disciples to distribute. When all the people had eaten, seven baskets full of bread were collected! This crowd was numbered at 4000 men plus the women and children!
Compassion for the hungry and hurting is the heart of God! His greater compassion is for the souls of the lost and their eternal salvation. Compassion ministries must always be coupled with preaching the gospel of faith in Jesus Christ and repentance from sins. It’s the reason Jesus came and the mission that He gave His disciples and us! (Luke 19:10) (Matthew 28:18-20)
Compassion and prayer!
Scripture reading for January 19th: Genesis 50, Exodus 1-2, Matthew 15
Key Scriptures: Matthew 15:32-35 “Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to sen them away hungry, lest they faint on the way. And the disciples said, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, :How many loaves do you have?: The said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks He broke them and gave them to the disciples…”
We notice the compassion that motivated Jesus to take faith action. He saw the hungry crowds and knew they had need. He found all available resources and organized the crowd. He mobilized the disciples to take the bread He had blessed and broken. As they broke it to the crowd, a miracle happened and all were fed! Compassion motivated Pharaoh’s daughter as well!
Exodus 2:5-6, 10 “Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children. . . .”When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.””
Prayer: Lord, fill my heart with Your compassion for the needy, hurting and lost! Let me be flooded with Your love! In Jesus’ Name.
Imitating Christ’s Attitude
Scripture reading for December 2nd: Philippians 1-4
I can wake up on the wrong side of the bed! Sometimes my attitude stinks! I am occasionally withdrawn, grumpy, and irritable. I can be centered on myself and what I want that day. I am in need of an “attitude adjustment”! The Word of God provides that for us. As we take it into our minds and hearts, it can do surgery on us. (Hebrews 4:12) It is Spirit and life to us from the heart of God. (John 6:63) Jesus Christ, Himself, modeled for us the kind of attitude that would please God. We read about it today in Paul’s letter to the Philippians!
Paul prayed a lot for those in Philippi. There was a church there with saints, overseers, and deacons that he had helped to set in place. He was confident that God would complete the work He had begun in each of them that had believed. He prayed that the love of these believers would abound more and more. (Philippians 1:6-11) He wanted them to be filled with the fruits of righteousness so that the Lord would receive glory!
These saints and leaders were encouraged by Paul to be united in love and purpose. (Philippians 2:2-3) Unity comes from fellowship with the Holy Spirit and a humble spirit towards God and each other. We must learn to bear with one another and try and look out for others rather than focusing on ourselves. The best example of this is Jesus Christ.
Jesus had a perfect attitude. He was God and owner and ruler of the universe, but He humbled Himself and took on human likeness through the incarnation. He willingly laid down all the power and privilege of royalty to be obedient to the Father. He even obeyed the Father by laying down His life on the cross, enduring the death of the lowest criminal. Because of His obedience, God exalted Him to the highest place of all after the resurrection. His Name, Jesus Christ, is the highest name in the universe! Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord! Those who bow their knees now and confess now will enjoy eternity with Him!
We are working out our salvation while God is at work in us. We humbly obey Him and do all we do without grumbling or complaining. We know that God has given us the task of sharing the Word of life in Christ. Our reward is sure! We rejoice always! (Philippians 4:4) We pray about everything and enjoy the peace of Christ! (Philippians 4:6-7) We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us! (Philippians 4:13) We know that our God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in Glory in Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:19) What an attitude of victory and joy when we imitate Christ!
The time of His favor
Scripture reading for July 31st: Isaiah 49-51
“This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ “(Isaiah 49:8-9)
These next chapters of Isaiah tell of the “servant” of the Lord that will come to bring the promised comfort, salvation, and deliverance to God’s people. God’s Word is very clear about the plans of the Lord to bring a deliverer. Isaiah has already said that “Immanuel” would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14) In Isaiah 9:5-6 He would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Prince of peace! His government would be without end! In Isaiah 49:5-6 God tells how He will form this servant in the womb. This servant will bring Jacob back to Him and gather Israel. Then God says that He will also make this servant a light for the Gentiles and bring His salvation to the ends of the earth! The story is so plain now in light of the life of Jesus Christ and all the prophecies that He fulfilled and the mission of His church!
God has a “time of favor” when His salvation is available to all who will avail themselves of it! This time began when Jesus Christ announced His mission with a quote from Isaiah in Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Isaiah 61:1-2) Notice how similar this quote is to our text for today’s devotion! Jesus Christ announced His ministry of preaching, healing and deliverance to those in His home town of Nazareth. They did not receive the message with the joy that was expected, however. Those in the synagogue became furious and tried to throw Jesus off the brow of a steep cliff! Not everyone responds to a “time of favor”.
In fact, the “time of favor” referred to the year of Jubilee during which every Israelite would have his inheritance restored! If they had lost property through neglect or illness or bad business dealings, the property was to be restored and the inheritance was to be put back together. It would be a joyous time of healing and restoration on the 50th years! (Leviticus 25:8-13) Jesus Christ was stating that He was their ‘Jubilee’!
Today we live in the “time of His favor” with promise of healing and restoration! Be sure to thank the Lord for what He has done in Jesus Christ! Share this good news with someone who needs favor today!