The genuine heart of God

For some people, they struggle to see God as a loving God. They have either had very bad experiences with parents or perhaps even with some churches, and so their picture of God is very harsh. When we look through the Bible, we can understand how we could see God in this way, but there are equally many scriptures that reveal the true heart of the Father.

Take for example, a few of the following verses. They speak to me of a God who cares, and who has a genuine heart of compassion for his people. 

Luke 13:34 - “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 

Luke 15:1-3 - Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Isaiah 40:11- He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Thought: Does this help you see God in a different way? 

Living in Grace

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Ritual without compassion

Abraham Heschel, the Jewish theologian, once said: “Ritual without compassion is the worship of nothing.”

These words stem from his reflection on Isaiah 58, where the prophet (Isaiah) challenged the people of God to make sure their worship translated into transformed lives and compassion to others.

James put it in these familiar words: "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:17)

Thought: In what way has your worship experience moved you to acts of compassion?

Living in grace

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Through your eyes

Teresa of Ávila wrote: "Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out to the earth."

It is her last statement that I feel is most relevant for this day and age. We are being called to look out into our communities with compassion and to help others encounter Jesus.

"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick" - Matthew 14:14

Did you notice how Jesus 'saw' the crowd - he looked into their souls and hearts. He had compassion on them.

What would that mean for us today?

Living in grace

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The Crowds

Wherever Jesus went he was followed by a crowd of people. The more the news about him spread, the greater the crowds became. The Bible tells us how Jesus felt about these people:

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

I am sure it was impossible for Jesus to speak to each person individually, especially when the crowds were in their thousands. However, we notice that he treated them as if they were the only people around at that time - his words spoke to the hearts of each individual.

Sadly, it was the anger of another crowd of people that pushed Jesus to the cross. Jesus became their scapegoat, and they satisfied their anger by turning on an innocent man.

Thought: Holy Week is a moment when I reflect on my own propensity to appease others. To go along with the crowds. To avoid independent thinking and to turn my back on Jesus. What about you?

Living in Grace

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My cup of compassion

I was given a beautiful piece of writing today that I really must share with you. The author is Joyce Rupp and she has a unique gift of expressing deep spiritual truths. She writes on the compassion of Jesus:

"My cup of compassion
holds tears of the world;
it overflows with sorrow,
struggles, and sadness.

my cup of compassion
holds the cries of children,
unfed, unloved,
unsheltered,
uneducated, unwanted.

my cup of compassion
holds the screams of war,
the tortured, slain,
imprisoned,
the raped, disabled.
...

my cup of compassion
I hold it to my heart
where the Divine dwells,
where love is stronger
than death and disaster."

May these words bless you as much as they have blessed me.

Living in Grace

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P.S. This is just part of her poem - I am sure you could find the rest on her website. 

Faithful God

As I bring the last month's reflections on Micah to an end, let us use his words as a starting point for our fresh start to 2020. They are a wonderful reminder of God's mercy, compassion and FAITHFULNESS.

"Who is a God like you,
    who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
    of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
    but delight to show mercy.
¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
²⁰ You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors    in days long ago." - Micah 7:18-20

Our God is Faithful.

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Rescued

The compassionate heart of God is revealed in these words of Micah:

"You will soon be sent in exile
    to distant Babylon.
But the Lord will rescue you there;    he will redeem you from the grip of your enemies." - Micah 4:10

The prophet doesn't hide from the fact that the Israelites will end up going into exile (due to their rebellion), but God will rescue them from the hands of their enemies. It may confuse us as to why God would allow them to go into exile first, before he rescued them, but God's ways are not our ways, so we need to rest in God's decisions.

The Good News for all of us is that God DOES rescue us and He is willing to redeem anyone who longs to return home.

Living in Grace
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A fatal capacity - Compassion

"Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else’s skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too." -  Frederick Buechner

I wondered why Buechner spoke about compassion being a 'fatal capacity', but on reflection I think it has something to do with being drawn into the world of those who are in pain. We need to 'feel' the pain of people in trouble, but when our compassion causes fatigue in our own lives, then we can be stepping on dangerous territory.

The second part of his words strike me as being very UNSELFISH - it is the ability to realise that my 'peace and joy' can't be fully enjoyed if I know that you are having difficulty. 

2 Kings 13:23 - But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.

What do you think?

Living in Grace
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Complete Opposites

 

Surrounded by evil people, a band of violent men and narrow minded religious folk, King David felt totally alone. Yet, in the midst of his predicament he remembered that God was still faithful and that God's character was completely opposite to that of his enemies. In his prayer, David proclaims:

"But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
    slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
¹⁶ Turn to me and have mercy on me;
    show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
    just as my mother did.
¹⁷ Give me a sign of your goodness,
    that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,    for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me." - Psalm 86:15-17

Remember this today - God is Gracious and Compassionate.

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Compassionate King - Psalm 103

It is not often that you find a compassionate ruler. Being compassionate can be seen as a sign of weakness, yet in this case, it reveals the great strength of God. When it is well within God's power to be vengeful or harsh, he shows his great love for humanity in his mercy.

It saddens me when I hear of people speaking of God only as an angry God or as someone who delights in putting people in their place. Do these words sound like someone who is angry?

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him." - Psalm 103:13

Just as our Lord is compassionate, let us show compassion to those who need it.

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Moved with compassion

› “Empathy: Your pain in my heart.” - Jess Lair.

When we walk close to the Lord we begin to understand the needs of others in a new way. We move from sympathy to EMPATHY. Allowing the pain of a fellow Christian to enter into our heart, is following in the way of Christ. We may not be able to solve the problem or make the pain go away but we can walk alongside those in need.  

Mark 1:41 - "Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”

In this week, where we remember 'Human Rights Day' (in South Africa), may we recognise the humanity in all people and be moved to compassion.

Living in Grace
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God will not reject ...

Many people have this notion of God as someone who is mean and nasty or as a Divine Overlord. I have to confess that there was a time in my faith where I wondered if God was playing games with my soul, but I have thankfully come to understand that God is not like that. In his song of confession, David makes an powerful statement of God's gracious nature, when he writes:

"The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit, 
You will NOT REJECT a broken and repentant heart, O God." - Psalm 51:17

In other words - David sees God as someone who is compassionate and willing to embrace us, especially when we show remorse for our sins. If we come to the Lord, acknowledging our need of forgiveness and mercy, then God will display grace and love to us.

Don't be afraid to come into the presence of Jesus today. God knows your heart and he will welcome you back into his arms.

Living in Grace
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Crying all your tears out

"I have cried until the tears no longer come. My heart is broken, my spirit poured out..." - Lamentations 2:11

Perhaps this is where we get the saying, "I cried my eyes out!"
There have been times in all of our lives where the pain has made us weep and weep, until we have no more tears. This is Jeremiah's story too. He cries over the brokenness of his people and for the loss of a relationship with God. He can't do anything to change the situation, but his tears help him to grieve for the loss he experiences.

As you reflect on this sentiment remember that Jesus offers us compassion for our tears and brokenness. Jesus is the one who also weeps and we can turn to him in the midst of our distress and fear.

John 11:35 - "Then Jesus wept."

May you find solace in the arms of Jesus - the one who weeps with you and who is strong enough to carry you through your trials.

Living in Grace
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A God who cares

On Sunday I shared on the theme of a 'God who cares.' It centred around believing in a God who truly cares for his children and who loves us as an 'ideal' parent should. In the days of Jesus many people believed in a God who displayed 'apatheia' - which is the inability to feel any emotion at all (we get the word 'apathy' from this word). How wrong they were!

Jesus' life showed us that he is indeed the God who cares - he has compassion, mercy, love, patience and empathy on all his children. As William Barclay puts it:

"The greatest thing Jesus did was to bring us the news of a God who cares."

So, if you are asked the question, "Does God care about me?" I hope that you can answer with confidence - "Absolutely - I know he does!"

May you know that God does care and that he loves you.

Why don't you pass this message onto someone who needs to hear this today.

Living in Grace
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With us

With so much pain and sadness being experienced in our community these past few days, it is easy to forget that God is compassionate and caring. Jesus never avoided people who were hurting - he embraced them and offered them his presence. 

May we remember that God is IMMANUEL - that means "with us" in all things.


Mark 1:41 – “Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man." 

Living in Grace
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