Many people struggle with viewing God as compassionate towards them personally.

Much like those who struggle with accepting God’s love, the fear of people that God is not compassionate toward them can stem from an abusive authority figure during childhood or misinformation in religious upbringing. This post is going to have a few brief comments and numerous quotes about God’s compassion, including what God says of Himself on this subject.

God’s Describes Himself as Compassionate

During one of Moses’ extended times seeking God, he asked to see God. God’s response was that a human could not survive seeing God in all His power, but He would allow His glory to pass in front of Moses. As Moses went through this experience, God said of Himself,

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. Ex. 34:6

God Describes His Compassion as Unfailing

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! Is. 49:15
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Is. 54:10

Other OT Scriptures frequently repeat this view of God’s Compassion:

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Ps. 86:15
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Ps. 103:8
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Ps. 145:8
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. Ps. 116:5

God is the Source of Compassion

Just as we speak of someone being the “father” of some invention or of a philosophy, meaning the invention or idea came from that person, Scripture speaks of God as the Source of compassion and comfort.

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

God’s Response to a Ruined Life is Compassionate

Jesus told a story to illustrate God‘s response to a person who ruined his/her life. It is usually referred to as the “Prodigal Son” story. The father character in the story represents God. The child (son) represents a person who has ruined his life. The son hoped to be cared for in the household as a servant but the father restored him to a place of honor as his son.

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Lu. 15:20

In various times during the history of the Jewish nation, they had turned from seeking God, only to see their economy, freedom, and families destroyed by their enemies. God’s response is again one of compassion, saying that He will not reject someone who seeks Him, and that all aspects of their lives would be restored to a state of wholeness and wellness.

For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him. 2 Chron. 30:9
The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. Is. 51:3

God’s Compassion in without Bias or Favoritism

The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. Ps. 145:9

Compassion is a Part of God’s Fatherhood

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who revere Him. Ps. 103:13

God Specifically Expresses Compassion for the Depressed and the Poor

In this next quote, the Hebrew word for “afflicted” is `aniy. It refers to a person who is depressed in mind (emotionally) or in circumstances (poverty).

Shout for joy. For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Is. 49:13

Jesus Lived Out God’s Heart of Compassion on Earth.

Jesus expressed that part of the purpose of His life on earth was to reveal the heart of Father God by the way He lived here. When Philip, one of the 12 disciples asked Jesus to show them Father God, Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (Jn. 14:8).” The following quotes repeatedly show Jesus’ compassionate response to anyone in any type of need, revealing to us that Father God responds with the same compassion to each of us in any type of need.

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Mt. 9:36

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick. Mt. 14:14

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.” Mt. 15:32

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed Him. Mt. 20:34

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Mk. 1:41

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things. Mk. 6:34

As we have mentioned in other articles on replacing harmful thoughts, to remove a fear that God is not compassionate toward you, you must daily replace the harmful thoughts with truth until a new mental pattern is formed. Allow these truths on compassion to fill your mind, bringing the healing that allows you to accept God’s gracious and unfailing compassion for you!

]]> http://receivehealing.com/blog/129/the-compassion-of-god/feed/ 0 http://receivehealing.com/blog/80/in-god%e2%80%99s-mercy-or-at-his-mercy/ http://receivehealing.com/blog/80/in-god%e2%80%99s-mercy-or-at-his-mercy/#comments Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:49:24 +0000 R.H. http://receivehealing.com/blog/?p=80 Reading Level: Very Impassioned

While in a time of prayer and meditation this morning, some thoughts came to mind about God’s mercy. Are we in His mercy or at His mercy?

Many of us have been raised to feel that we are “at” God’s mercy, that God is an uncompassionate authority figure who rules over our lives at a distance, yet He is unmoved by the severity of our situations and we are forced to feel grateful if He acts in our behalf. Such feelings may be due to inadequate religious teaching from childhood or a parent or other authority figure that misused their authority. Feelings of being “at” God’s mercy may even stem from being raised in poverty, which often causes one to feel that you are always at the mercy of others’ whims and unable to help yourself.

As I began to study the topic of God’s mercy this evening, I discovered that God’s mercy is clearly governed by His overwhelming love and concern for us.

The first passages I came across were of people in crises who were writing about God’s response to their cries for help. Take a look at these people’s view of God’s merciful responses:

In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from Your sight!” Yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help. Ps. 31:22

I love the LORD, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Ps 116:1

In all their distress, He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Is. 63:9

Notice some of their key points about God’s mercy during their crises.

1. His mercy is great or vast.
2. In a moment of terror, when the person thought he was abandoned, God heard his cry and helped him.
3. His love and mercy caused God to actually empathize and feel the distress of the person in the situation. He then responded in a nurturing way.

In these next quotes, the writers’ express God’s mercy toward someone repentant of evil.

But in Your great mercy You did not put an end to them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and merciful God. Neh. 9:31

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. Is. 55:7

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgressions? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. Mic. 7:18

1. The first writer expresses that, in his experience, he has seen that God’s mercy caused Him not to punish or abandon people though undeserving of His mercy.
2. The second writer says one can have confidence that God will indeed have mercy upon the repentant, because He “freely” pardons. In other words, God is generous with His mercy, not stingy.
3. The last writer says that no one compares with God due to His level of delighting in showing mercy. All these passages reinforce the concept that we are not “at” God’s mercy, or as the phrase implies, at the mercy of an uncompassionate ruling authority.

Another incredible illustration of the mercy of God comes from a prophecy about the birth of John the Baptist.

Luke 1:76-78 says that John would be a prophet to prepare the way before Jesus to “give God’s people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God. The very act of God coming in human flesh to complete our salvation was due to the “tender mercy” of God, not the haphazard good deed of an unkind, unjust judge of mankind.

In Scripture, we are told to seek wisdom. James describes the wisdom of heaven or of God with mercy being a part of His wisdom.

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (Jms. 3:17).” First of all, when we are “at” the mercy of someone, they are not the type of person which one would describe as wise, much less embodying all of the loving, gracious attributes described here. Even notice that God’s mercy is described as being full of good results.

The picture should be getting clear now, that we live “in” the mercy of God, not “at” His mercy. A closer look at the root words used for “mercy” complete our portrait of the mercy of God.

In the James passage, the word for mercy in the Greek is eleos, the literal meaning of which is active compassion. Active compassion would never describe someone who manipulates people “at their mercy.” The other Greek word I came across for mercy had the same root meaning, that of active compassion.

The Hebrew words for mercy are even more beautifully descriptive of the mercy of God that we live in. Psalm 103:17 states, “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that revere him.” The Hebrew word for mercy in this quote is Checed, the full meaning of which includes: kindness, beauty, favor, good deeds, and loving-kindness. A different Hebrew word for mercy, Racham, is used in the passage from Nehemiah earlier in this article. It’s root meaning is just as lovely and complete: compassion, tender love, great and tender mercy, an extension of the womb-as in the cherishing of the fetus.

These few passages from just a handful of writers make it beautifully clear that not only do we live “in” the mercy of God, but God’s mercy is so phenomenally wonderful and beautiful that it is something no one should ever desire to live without.

Let’s deal with your life at the present moment. You may just have a variety of issues you need to deal with, or you may be in a major crisis. Or, maybe you’re suffering from some serious mistakes and feeling repentant. God’s mercy, His mercy that is everlasting, actively compassionate, kind, tender, and loving is available for you today, no matter what your need. I’m going to end this post with one of my favorite passages regarding God’s mercy.

For we do not have a High Priest [referring to Jesus] who is unable to sympathize and have a fellow feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation…Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace–the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners; that we may receive mercy for our failures and find grace to help in good time for every need-appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it. Heb. 4:15,16 (Amplified)

Definitions are from Strong’s Dictionary of OT Words and Strong’s Dictionary of NT Words.

The characteristics of Father God are deeply moving once one begins to peruse them in their full scope.

This post today is in answer to readers’ questions regarding the characteristics or fatherly traits of God. Some of God’s fatherly traits are like those of a good earthly father; others, though similar, go far beyond an earthly father’s abilities. This lengthy list of God’s fatherly attributes is in no way complete as He describes Himself, for the list would probably be endless. Whether you have had mainly negative experiences with your earthly father, which in turn made it difficult for you to interact with God as your Father, or if you had positive paternal experiences as a child, these traits of Father God will be very healing, emotional, and fulfilling to your mind and spirit.

Loving Continually, Abundantly

God says,
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 Jn. 3:1
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Jer. 31:3.

Just as a good earthly father, God delights in lavishing His love on us, pouring His love into our lives in generous, plentiful, and even extravagant ways.
As your Heavenly Father, God’s love goes far beyond the capabilities of a human father in that His love is everlasting, never-ending.

Compassionate, Comforting, and Loyal

God says,
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. Ps. 103:13
The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort…2 Cor. 1:3
For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on those who are afflicted. But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget or forsake you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Is. 49:13-16

Just as a good earthly father feels compassionate toward his children-even the more challenging ones-and responds to their needs in compassionate, comforting manners, God says that He will be comforting and compassionate in His responses to His children. God purposely makes a distinction between Himself and earthly parents, admitting that some parents are not good and lack in the normal, paternal devotion; hence, the result of abandoning their children. God says, referring to a mother as an example (as mothers are typically considered by society to be even more devoted than fathers), that even if our own earthly mother (or likewise, a father) would abandon us, He will never abandon us. His loyalty and devotion cannot end, as sometimes happens with earthly parents.

Nurturing

God says,
The LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. Deut. 1:31

This is a beautiful visual illustration that God gives us, describing Himself as a father who is literally carrying his son, caring for the son’s every need when he is unable to care for himself. Historically, it refers to God caring for the Israelites every need as He brought them out of 400 years of slavery to a land of their own. But as Scripture tells us that God is no respecter of persons-doesn’t show favoritism (Acts 10:34)-and that all the promises of God are “yes” for those who are in Him (in Christ, 2 Cor. 1:20), He cannot show less care for us than what He has shown to someone else. We can rely on His intimate nurturing of us, especially at times when we are unable to care for ourselves.

Warm, Affectionate, Familial

God says,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father. Gal. 4:6

In this quote, God is describing how He causes His Spirit that lives within us to enable us to cry out to Him as a father, with the sense of intimate closeness, warmth, affection, and complete trust with which a very small child calls out to his parent. “Abba,” is Aramaic and Arabic for “Daddy.” I could not think of a single term to categorize this sentiment, and later discovered while researching the term, Abba, that it is impossible to concisely describe in the English language. Easton’s Bible Dictionary says of the term, Abba, “It is a term expressing warm affection and filial confidence. It has no perfect equivalent in our language.” ATS Dictionary describes the term this way, “It expressed the peculiar tenderness, familiarity, and confidence of the love between parent and child.” So we see that God’s Spirit works within us to create, between Father God and us, the same natural bond of affection, trust, warmth, and closeness as exists with small child and its parent. Once we become of aware of this fact, it should enable us to let down our guard and allow God’s Spirit within us to further develop the intimate feelings that are intended to exist between us and Father God.

Perfect for Us and to Us

God says,
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. Ps. 18:30
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Mt 5:48

God is a perfect Father. He is not capable of the failings of earthly fathers. The Greek word for perfect, teleios, means, complete in mental and moral character (Strong’s Dictionary of NT Words). Not only are His thoughts and character perfect, but as Ps. 18 says, His ways are also perfect. In other words, God says that His interactions with us are unflawed. This is vital for us to keep in mind. People blame God for so many bad things that happen to them. Does a good parent purposely harm his child? Of course, not. Any parent that does is considered to be mentally and morally corrupt. God informs us that He is perfect; there is no flaw in His character or dealings with us.

Giving

God says,
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father, who does not change like shifting shadows. Jms. 1:17
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Mt. 7:11

As with any good father, God delights in giving to His children, doing things for them that bring joy and excitement to their hearts. God says that only “good and perfect” gifts come from Him. This tells us 2 things: (1) God gives or does things that are considered as gifts from Him to us. (2) He only gives good gifts, again rejecting the theory that evil comes from Father God. In the second quote, God compares Himself to earthly parents to again illustrate His superiority as a parent. We as good, earthly parents love to give good gifts to our children. Even so, we each know that our character, even at its best, is flawed. Since God’s character is flawless, how much more does His heart delight in doing good to us and giving good things to us!

Protector

God says,
Ps 68:5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

There are countless passages that describe Father God as our protector, such as the ones that refer to Him as our Rock, our Shelter, a shield around us, etc. But this quote is especially beautiful because God remarks that He is particularly concerned and protective of those who are normally neglected by society. As this was written approximately 2500 years ago, it was obviously during a period in earth’s history where the job market was male dominated; neither were there the infrastructures for welfare assistance that are available in financially stable countries now. For the most part, orphans and widows back then were without a source of income and without hope. God describes Himself as the Father/Protector of each person who looks to Him, and particularly those whom society has let fall through the cracks.

Ever Available

God says,
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Is. 9:6

This quote is part of a prophecy of the birth of Jesus, put to writing about 700 years before Jesus’ birth. Though it speaks of several fatherly traits, such as a counselor (advice-giver) and Prince of Peace (bringing peace to those He is ruling over), I wanted to focus on the term, Everlasting Father. This name of Father God describes His availability. Good earthly fathers try to be involved in their children’s lives, though their continual presence is not possible due to full-time jobs, other responsibilities, and a limited physical life of usually, at the most, 60-80 years. God is our Everlasting Father. He is always with us, always available for us, and will never die.

Disciplines Us for our Good

God says,
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good. Heb. 12:7,10

God does disciplines us to develop our spirits and character but He is careful to contrast His discipline of us with that of an earthly father. Notice God says that an earthly father disciplines us the best that he knows how, “but” He disciplines us for our good. His knowledge of the situation and wisdom of how to deal with it are never lacking, so His discipline does always bring about good in us, whereas an earthly father’s discipline may be overbearing, not strict enough, or lacking in wisdom or effectiveness in some other way.

Forgiving

God says,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn. 1:9
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Col. 3:13

Unlike what many of us were taught as children, God describes Himself as faithful to forgive. When we come to Him and confess our failings, He faithfully forgives us. Notice in the second quote, it tells us to be patient with each other and forgive whatever grievances we have against each other because that is the same way God responds with His forgiveness towards us. The Greek for forgive, aphete, means to let go, leave behind, dismiss, or cancel the debt (pg. 1430 FLSB). God is not unforgiving. He does not hold on to bad attitudes toward us when we fail. Just as He tells us to do with each other, when we ask for forgiveness, He “lets it go,” leaving the past in the past.

Conclusion

A Prayer for You
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. Eph. 1:17

I appreciate so much the ReceiveHealing readers bringing this area of interest to my attention. I do pray that God’s Spirit has, as you read this, and will continue to give you wisdom and revelation of the incredible beauty, intensity, and faithfulness of God’s fatherly traits. May the greater knowledge of the characteristics of Father God bring a level of healing, fullness, and completeness to your relationship with Him that you never had before, enhancing your life in ways beyond what you’ve imagined!

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Growing in one’s understanding of God’s love–the way it actually is, not the incompassionate or unforgiving myth that many of us were raised to believe–opens the door to many types of healing.

As you read through various of my posts, you will become aware that this one of the recurring themes. For example, growing in the understanding of God’s love for you removes fears of His rejection or punishment, opening the door to receiving His love, comfort, and forgiveness, i.e. emotional healing. This in turn allows us to forgive ourselves–more emotional healing. The process sets off a chain reaction because the removal of our fears and forgiveness of ourselves with the unnecessary guilt that carries then allows a release of negative emotions and energies which both created illnesses and aggravated existing ones, i.e. physical healing.

The quote that got me started on this personal search for new revelations of God’s love was this one:
That you may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge– that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Eph 3:18,19

My whole life has been a continual search to know more of God, so the idea of being “filled to the measure with the fullness of God” by a greater understanding of His love was an appealing one.

Not too many days after I had begun making this concept a matter of prayer and meditation, these are the ideas that came to my spirit. I was speaking to God about my various family members and friends, but I’ll refer to my brother here for the purpose of example. I said, “If it were in my power to meet all of the needs in my brother’s life, I would do so in an instant, even without him asking.” As I pondered more, the idea developed. “If it were in my power to give my brother every desire of his heart, every dream, I would do so in an instant, even without him asking. If it were in my power to do for my brother far beyond what he would ever dream of for himself, I would do so in an instant, even without him asking.”

God suddenly reminded me of a passage where essentially Jesus said that, as humans, even though our nature is so evil compared to God’s, we love to give good gifts to our children; how much more does our Heavenly Father delight in giving good to those who ask Him. I made a mental note of that, agreeing that God obviously is capable of greater love for my family members and friends than what I am possibly capable of.

God then spoke two new revelations about His love to my spirit.

He said, “You have great love for your family and friends. Yet, your love for your family/friends is like just a drop in the ocean compared to My love for you and them; realize, then, how much more willing I am to give you and your loved ones(1) whatever you/they need (2) whatever you/they dream of (3) and even far beyond what you/they would ever dare to dream of or hope for.

Secondly, if you in your limited human love are so willing to do such things for your loved ones without them even asking, how much more do you think I am willing to give to you/them when you ask Me?

Sometimes, unaware to us, we begin to think, feel, and respond to God in our prayers and meditations as if we need to convince Him to love us or our loved ones enough to meet our needs or help us fulfill our dreams.

Those feelings come back to a lack of understanding His love. Here are some examples where God has already committed to meeting our needs, fulfilling our dreams, and doing far beyond our highest expectations as we believe Him to.

1. With regard to our needs, God promises, “God’s divine power gives us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. (2Pe 1:3)”
2. As for our dreams, God says of Himself, “Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:4)” He wants to fulfill our dreams.
3. And, we need to expand our vision to include the concept that God does desire to do far beyond our highest expectations. “God, by the action of His power at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams! (Eph. 3:20)”

God’s ability is not without purpose. His purpose is to do for us what He is able to do, as we choose to believe and allow Him to do for us and in us, and that ability goes infinitely beyond what we are capable of dreaming of.

How do we come to the point of believing for such involvement from God for our lives? “It is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ –but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. (1Co 2:9,10)” The more we grow in our understanding of God, His character, His desires, His immeasurable love for us, the greater the detail of His visions of where our lives can go will be communicated to our spirits.

Time to dream…..