“The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” Psalm 116:5 (NIV)
The prodigal son’s father exhibited God’s nature and character as he embraced his repentant son. The father’s compassion demonstrated that he valued his son’s return more than he judged his son’s rebellion. What does righteousness in action look like? Well, it looks like a father showing compassion to a wayward son.
God’s resources are unlimited. Try to measure the depth of God’s love. Seek to weigh the hand that keeps the planets in orbit. Ponder the expanse of God’s consistent flow of gracious compassion.
David painted a portrait of the nature and character of God as that of being full of compassion. Aren’t you eternally grateful that our Living God is the God of Compassion? His compassion is His righteousness in action. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6 NIV).
What does compassion look like in your life? When have you experienced the compassion of God? Imagine your life without God’s righteousness in action. What if God withdrew His compassion from your life today?
Pray with me: “Father, thank You for being a God of communication. We praise You for making Your compassion known to us even while we were living in rebellion and disobedience. We marvel at Your patience with us. Enable us to live in light of Your compassion today. Empower us to extend Your compassion to others in the measure that You have extended Your compassion to us. May others see Jesus in us through every interaction and interruption that You allow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
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