WHO IS THE MOST COMPASSIONATE FRIEND YOU HAVE?

SCRIPTURE:
Just as a father has compassion of his children, so the Lord has 
compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows how we are 
formed, and He is mindful that we are dust.  
(Psalm 103:13-14)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought to yourself, “Nobody understands me”?
It is a feeling that we can have when we need compassion from others.
Other words for ‘compassion’ include: 
sympathy, empathy, concern, care, consideration and kindness.
In summary, a person with compassion 
is someone who is genuinely concerned about the welfare of others.

Having a compassionate friend is a blessing from the Lord.
We would like to have friends who are compassionate when we have issues, 
but even more important is to have compassionate friends 
who want to see us have a relationship with the Lord.
Why is that important?
Because when we have a relationship with the Lord, we have a friend Who
is the most compassionate friend we could possibly have.

The psalmist knew this, and basically “paid forward’ this information 
to those who would come after him.
One key element that he wanted others to be aware of, is that 
‘fear of the Lord’ is the key that opens the door to His compassion.

Fear of the Lord can include fear of His wrath, 
but more importantly it means to have awe and respect for Him.
It means that we have a desire to obediently please Him 
and fulfill His desires for us.

Why would the Lord have so much compassion for those who fear Him?
It is because He knows us better than anyone else, 
and better than we know ourselves.
After all, He was the One Who created every human being from nothing.

Just like Adam, we were in essence formed from the dust.
God breathed life into us and along with His plans for each individual.
Our challenge is to fear the Lord, yield to His will for our lives, 
and refuse to let the world remold us.

We live in a world that remolds people from whom God intended them to be, 
into people who are quite different what He wanted. 
In a fast paced world, many people are too preoccupied with their own issues 
to take the time to consider the needs of others, but God does!

ACTION:
Consider this: there are three of you. 
There is the person you think you are. 
There is the person others think you are. 
There is the person God knows you are, and can be through Christ.
Have you resisted the world’s attempts to remold you 
and remained true to the God Who created you and Who knows you best?
God gave His best (Jesus) for you; what have you given Him in appreciation?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You made me and You now me better than I know 
myself. When I need compassion, You are the One Who can provide me 
with exactly what I need for any situation. Thank You for being the One 
I can always depend on. Forgive me if I have allowed the world to chip 
away at the person You made me to be. Help me to hit ‘restart’ and be 
remolded back to the person You created and to follow Your plans for 
my life. Teach me how to be more compassionate to those around me.”