THE WORD “COMPASSION” points to the act of reaching out to relieve the distress of another. Hence, my contemplation on the theme of compassion transports my mind to Psalm 139, where some strong allusions to a compassionate Creator can be found. Let’s focus on a few of the verses that loudly proclaim the intense care and kindness of our heavenly Father toward fallen humanity. These promises not only relieve our distress but also remind us of God’s omnipresence in our lives.
THE COMPASSIONATE CREATOR
In a world of sin, where we find ourselves striving to walk in the Spirit and sometimes falling short because of the war against the flesh, it is consoling and encouraging to know that we were created by a compassionate God. The following text assures us of this fact: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! . . . You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me” (verses 1-5).*
The psalmist, David, reminds us in verse 1 that God is omniscient. There isn’t anything about anyone of which His knowledge falls short.
Yet still, in verse 5, we find this mortal human being, who was once lost in sin, rejoicing in the fact that his heavenly Father is actively protecting him by hiding his life in the palm of His closed hand. What a beautiful literary depiction of divine protection!
COMPASSION TO SELF
It is a liberating experience to accept the compassion afforded by our Savior’s sacrifice. In this process, we accept the gift of forgiveness from Him to us, and furthermore, we cannot help but be compassionate to ourselves when we adopt His nature.
When the Bible states “You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways” (verse 3), it speaks of God’s constant care to each individual. It means He is familiar with and concerned about all aspects of our lives.
For this reason, we should be compassionate to ourselves by relaxing in His constant care and trusting in Him to fight and win all of our battles for us, rather than enduring unnecessary stress.
COMPASSION TO OTHERS
There are many today who suffer with great psychological distress as they search their own minds and lives, only to realize the depth of their wretchedness. Most psychologists believe that extreme feelings of wretchedness are so detrimental that they can lead to suicide.
What then is the corrective measure for such feelings? Those of us who have recognized the Father’s compassion, as King David did, must understand our responsibility to share the therapeutic treasures found in God’s Word with the hopeless. Many souls would be relieved by the knowledge found in the following verses: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. . . . My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you” (verses 13-18).
A compassionate Creator is found here, revealing the most brilliant hope ever offered to humans. These verses provide all the answers to our universal quest for meaning. In this powerfully packed passage, the poignancy of figurative language allows for a delightful connection between the text and the reality of who we are as humans. God possessed tender loving care for us even while we were in the embryonic stage in our mother’s womb.
While He has power and control over the entire universe, yet still His compassionate nature prevails and is evident in His care for all of His feeble and dependent creation. In fact, it was compassion that caused Him to create the human body as an awesome and magnificent mechanism (verse 14), which is resilient beyond the understanding of many scientists. Were this not the case, many of us would have
already been consumed by various illnesses.
In a book I am currently writing, the Lord has been giving me inspiration to share on the supernatural nature of God’s grace. It is the grace of God that opens human minds to understand and accept God’s compassionate nature. By extension, His grace transforms us, thus enabling us to extend a like-minded spirit to our fellow human beings.
*All Bible texts are from the English Standard Version.
