Inspirational Article From Joanne Lowe Index of Writings by Joanne Lowe on Gospel Web

A GOD OF COMPASSION

“But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.”

Psalm 78: 38 - 41 King James Version

Last night as I was remembering how God saved the Israelites by casting Pharaoh and his chariots into the Red Sea (Exodus 15: 3 – 5), I realized that it broke His heart because He had to do that. Our Heavenly Father is a God of compassion and He loves each one of us equally. He does not play favorites. It doesn’t matter to Him if a person is a garbage collector or the president of the United States, He loves them equally.

I believe that it made God very sad and broke His heart when He had to drown Pharaoh and his men in the Red Sea because He loved them just as He loves us. However, there comes a time when He must act to protect us from our enemies and He needed to protect the Israelites from Pharaoh. Just as He protects us from our enemies, He also protects others from us when we criticize them and say hateful things to them.

We need to remember that none of us are perfect. We hurt other people and usually we aren’t even aware that we have hurt the person. Just because we are saved does not mean that we are perfect. All it means is that we are sinners saved through the grace and mercy of God and that the cleansing atoning blood of Jesus has been applied to our hearts for the forgiveness of our sins. There was only one perfect person who lived and His name is Jesus.

The Bible says that many a time He turned His anger away and did not stir up all His wrath. Thank God for His mercy, grace, understanding and forgiveness. If He were to punish us as we deserve to be punished, every one of us would be in serious trouble. It is only through the precious atoning blood of our Saviour that we have the redemption and forgiveness of our sins.

Yes, our loving Heavenly Father is a God of compassion and we should thank Him every day for His mercy, grace, forgiveness and understanding. Just as our tender, caring, gentle and loving Heavenly Father is compassionate to us and forgives us when we hurt Him, so we need to be compassionate to each other and forgive each other when someone hurts us. Are you forgiving others and being compassionate to them the way that God is forgiving you and being compassionate to you?

Joanne Lowe

November 1, 2007

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