Father of Compassion

I stumble. I fall. I do those things I wish I would not do yet again.

Even though I get frustrated with myself, I have never once imagined God ready to pull His hair out because I am not “getting it.”

Instead, I see His mercy and grace and compassion.

It isn’t that the wrath of God does not exist. But the Bible illustrates many situations where God showed compassion: Jesus feeding the crowds, Jesus meeting the woman at the well, Jesus healing the many, many people He healed.

Maybe all of those different scenarios are for us to see ourselves in them.

God does not tire of hearing from us. When we are coming to Him it is usually out of our own need or we are coming on the behalf of others.

Even if we aren’t coming to Him with pure intentions He can take and shape our prayers to become “His will.”

As humans, we can get tired of repeated situations with the humans around us. Our fuses are sometimes short for our siblings, co-workers, neighbors, spouse, children, or grandchildren.

He is the Father of Compassion.

My prayer is that I respond as one who is frequently shown compassion, mercy, and grace. I hope to reflect my Father’s heart.

Present

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

My request list is rather long these days. I cannot fix any of the situations around me. I can only offer them up to God. But the people I love are in heavy times and it hurts my heart.

And then I remember — I can lay all of these things at Jesus’ feet. And trust that God will give me His perfect peace. This life isn’t always easy. And sometimes if I focus too far into the future, I find myself in a little bit of a panic.

How will this all play out?

Today I present my requests and pray that God will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Father, be with…

all the people in my life who are struggling with various difficulties:

my friend who recently had heart transplant surgery…

my friends whose daughter recently died from an accidental overdose…

my family members whose spouses both died within the last year…

my family members whose parents have recently died…

my friend who is struggling with serious depression and adjusting to medications…

my neighbor who had a cancerous kidney removed recently…

my friends who are struggling with finances and employment…

my friends dealing with the needs of aging parents…

my friends who have been struggling with heart issues and procedures and lack of energy…

my friend’s mother-in-law’s recent tumor scare…

and those who have not shared their struggles…

Amen.

I don’t always sit well with those who are grieving. I think it is because I feel so much of their pain that I don’t know what to do with those feelings. However, just because I may not be a helpful presence, it doesn’t mean that these people and their struggles are not at the top of my mind and prayer list. I turn my deep feelings into prayers on behalf of those struggling. We all know people who are struggling with deep grief. How do you share that burden with your friends and family?

I give thanks to you.

Psalm 86:8-13

⁸There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
⁹All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
¹⁰For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.
¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
¹²I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
¹³For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart.

My whole heart. My undivided heart. That heart that cannot curse and bless at the same time. That’s the heart David is talking about.

I can imagine David. His whole heart ready to burst — overflowing with the thankfulness for God’s gifts of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. When we are burden with sin, it’s a heavy load to carry. When we recognize all that God sees and knows about us and and that He still loves us, it is an amazing thing. We are His creation. And He provides for us in ways that are beyond our comprehension.

It’s true we don’t get everything we want. Even those honorable things that seem like they would be good things aren’t always meant for us. Getting to the point of being thankful in all circumstances is a journey of surrender.

But it can begin today.

What difficult things can you look back on in your life and see where God has done some beautiful work? If you have some history with God, you have seen His provision in action. You know what He can do — even if it takes years for it to come to fruition.

What is today’s circumstance that has you wondering is He sees or knows or even cares? Let me encourage you to give thanks to Him for what He has done and what He is going to do. Even if you can’t start with your whole heart, start with part of your heart. As you look back on what He has done, it gets easier to trust Him with your heart. It may start off as bits and pieces, but, between remembering His work in the past and giving thanks for today, you will find that more and more of your heart will participate.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart.

Unite my heart.

Psalm 86:8-13

⁸There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
⁹All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
¹⁰For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.
¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
¹²I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
¹³For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Unite my heart to fear your name.

Have you ever had a divided heart? They aren’t hard to come by. I find myself longing for that thing I should not be longing for or I am stuck between choosing what is the right thing to do and the thing I would rather do. Maybe you have some other scenarios playing in your head. I want my heart to trust in God so I don’t have to look longingly at that other thing that I don’t need in my life. I want to “fear His name” with that sense of awe and reverence. While God is certainly all powerful, I never really look at His power as something to be fearful of in the current understanding of the word. Merriam-Webster defined fear as profound reverence and awe, especially towards God. That fits.

Even when I have really struggled with the burden of sin and consequences I never saw God as one to be afraid of so I appreciate the difference in the use of the word fear in the definition above. Not that God loves sin, He certainly doesn’t. But His patient love for me, even when I am in the middle of being ridiculous, is always evident.

Lord, unite my heart so it is undivided and that is is Yours. Let the rhythm of Your breath of life set the beat of my heart and let it all be for Your glory! Amen.

Guard Your Hearts and Your Minds

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We certainly must do what we can to guard our hearts and our minds. And going to God in prayer in every situation looks like the first line of defense. There are times that seeking God has fallen off my “to do” list. I get overwhelmed with the tasks ahead of me and I “save time” by plowing ahead — ungirded, disconnected, and underprepared.

We are in the world and we can fall prey to worldly things so easily. As we present every situation to God, He uses that time to send us His peace and protection. That peace of God can flood our conversations, our schedule, our tasks … our day.

Let’s do a five day challenge this week. 5 days of intentional prayer time. If you are in, let me know and send me one of your top verses via email to vospower6@hotmail.com. For the next 4 days we will start each day with a PrayerPoint.

For today, take time to present your day to God. What is on the calendar? How do you feel about what is on the calendar? Think of the mundane tasks as well as the overwhelming ones. Walk through your commitments, but don’t forget to pray for those gaps. Is there some space for God’s agenda? Are we booking each day so solidly that there is no room to move and be flexible?

I’ll see you tomorrow!

Listening

These past few weeks I have been listening to a wide range of perspectives and attitudes. The range of beliefs and “truths” is mind-boggling. The range of experiences are eye-opening. And, as expected, there are a lot of suggested solutions out there.

Something has to change. There is death and destruction in this world. And, yet, there are good things happening in the world, too. It is important to see both because only seeing the death can be heart-wrenching and lead one to hopelessness. However, if one only focuses on the “good”, the picture is incomplete. There is clearly a wide range of both.

We are clearly not there yet. And where is there, anyway?

We can dream for this — take a listen…. but it isn’t based in reality.

From my perspective, we will never get to the place where this world is perfect and safe for all. This is Earth, after all. Unfortunately, all people in all stages of life will not be cared for and protected. And, sadly, there will always be hunger. While our “technology” is advancing in amazing ways since the beginning of time, our interpersonal skills have not. Our hearts are wicked. Sin abounds. We haven’t figured out how to stop murdering one another and retaliating wrongs. But that doesn’t mean we stop working towards it.

“What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV

We should not be surprised how quickly avenging can turn to revenging. Nor should we be shocked at the bitterness stored up in the hearts of people.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:30-32 NIV

We should take a long hard look at ourselves. Cumulative and lasting change comes when our hearts are reconciled with God. And, even then, there will not be true “peace on Earth”. But, as people are reconciled to God and recognize their propensity toward sin and seek to turn away from it, there is hope. As we each walk towards God, from wherever we are in the world, we are headed in the same direction. And God changes our hearts to be more like His. And we can work with God to bridge the cavernous divides.

There is no true healing apart from the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

It starts with me and my heart — when I let God take away my “justified response” and my anger. There are many, many ugly things that happen in life to many of us. If we choose to harbor unforgiveness, we are choosing a life of bondage. One great book that I have read and re-read through the years is by R.T. Kendall, Total Forgiveness. I have bought multiple copies and given them away. I don’t do that very often for books.

As I listen, there is hurt, loss, injustice, and anger as well as a lot of justification for violence and further killing. Dwelling in an ugly place with people who are angry only brings more ugliness. I continue to listen to a wide range of perspectives, but I will hear them through God’s Word. I can’t listen to the voices of the day without hearing the words and the proposed solutions and comparing them to what is in God’s Word. There is, and will always be, a lot of false prophets out there — wolves in sheeps clothing. But there are a lot of voices who, though human, who offer a lot of Godly insight, rooted in Scripture.

This is Part II. Hearing was the first post.

May God reveal His wisdom and perspective as you examine your own heart today!

Looking Out

Observing the world from the comfort of my own space is risk-free. I can stay within my walls.

The photo for today is from a castle I recently visited in Austria. The walls are so thick and for good reason. That is a part of what protects. The window can provide the opportunity to view what is happening, though it makes it difficult to engage.

Hurt people hurt people. And that is when walls are built and reinforced. If the wounds are never dealt with, simple barriers become a fortress. Living within a fortress doesn’t allow for much engagement with the world. It is a maze of stone cold passageways designed to protect the heart. But it also doesn’t allow a heart to grow in its capacity to love. Unfortunately, that is a form of captivity.

I am thankful that Jesus came to set the captives free. I am thankful for His healing, redemption, forgiveness and His heart-soothing love.

Come, Lord Jesus!
Liz

Hello Friend! Day Fifteen

Hello Friend!

Do you have a friend you can call on to refresh your heart? That person who can listen and encourage you when the day, week, or month has been more than you can bare?

There is nothing like a friend who hears your circumstance, will pray for you, and tell you the truth about God’s love! It is so essential for my heart! My circumstances may remain but a good friend helps me see beyond the situation and, hopefully, can help me see a Kingdom perspective.

A friend like this is a treasure. And if you have one, hold tight! They are worth more than their weight in gold.

Thank you, Father, for blessing me with amazing friends. When I lose my way or lose sight of You, I am thankful they will help me see You and the work You are doing in my life!

Love,
Liz

Desolate

We have been on the road for the last five days (Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Phoenix) and we have driven through quite a variety of terrain and weather conditions. Some of the places were quite sparse. As we drove quickly by, it didn’t look like there was too much life out there but a good naturalist will let you know that indeed there is, even if there doesn’t appear that way.

And I got to thinking, sometimes we look at someone’s life (maybe our own) and we think there isn’t anything of value there. From the outset there seems to be not too much life, but we never really know what is going on in the heart.

I am one that has a tendency towards “hope”. If I lose something, I am hopeful to find it and if I am surrounded by situations that aren’t great, I am looking for hope to hold onto. So even as I look at this picture and it’s lack of color and seeming lack of life, I know better. I know there are things going on “behind the scenes”.

I am thankful for all the times that God has worked on my heart even when I didn’t know or understand it. How He has given me life and purpose even if it appears there is little life on the surface.

There are seasons that look desolate, but God is always working, shaping, encouraging, and tending to my soul.

We may look at someone and decide they are flourishing the way God wants them to by all outward appearances, but we may be completely wrong. So let’s not make a judgement either way — truly, only God knows the heart.

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” [1 Samuel 16:7b, NIV]

So don’t let appearing “all together” be your goal. Let God work on your heart and things will flow from there.

Heart work is hard work!

Liz

PrayerPrompt: IDENTITY