The Lord's Compassion On Those Who Fear Him
Today's Bible Verse
"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him."
(Psalm 103: 13)
The word "compassion" may remind us of someone who would go out of their way to relieve the pain of others. Being compassionate involves being sensitive and sympathetic to others' sufferings and misfortunes. Whenever we try to be compassionate, we are also voluntarily taking ourselves and experiencing other's difficulties while we try to do our best in their situation. Compassion involves the suffering and experience of the person who is being compassionate too. And that is the greatest blessing those who fear the Lord receive from Him in life.
The Lord is compassionate, and He walks the walk of life with those who fear Him, just like a father would do with his children. The following verses say, "For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more" (Psalm 103: 14 - 16). The Lord is compassionate, and He involves Himself in the sufferings, pains, misfortunes, difficulties and struggles of those who fear Him during the insignificant spots called 'human life' in God's never-ending line known as 'eternity!'
While our first understanding of compassion comes with a beautiful promise of a father's love for his children, the second reminds us of a God-fearing life that would bring in the promise of compassion in our lives. Love the Lord, fear the Lord. This understanding also made me contemplate the word "God-fearing." As we begin to understand that fearing the Lord becomes the essence of this father-child relationship of compassion, I am also reminded of the words of the wise man, King Solomon, who says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9: 10).
How do we fear the Lord? To run away when His presence is near? To hide from Him? To be far away? Isn't it contradicting our understanding of a loving God who is compassionate? How can fear and compassion work together in a relationship? How can the Lord who promises compassion have our fearing of Him as the basic requirement of this? This pondering led me to understand that we live a God-fearing life not by staying far away but by involving ourselves in service and staying closer. I found my answer in Deuteronomy which says, "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?" (Deuteronomy 10: 12, 13). Yes, I found my answers! Fearing the Lord is a lifestyle. It is a lifestyle that includes everything that is mentioned in the above verse. We are called to be people who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him, who love Him, who serve Him with all their heart and with all their soul and who observe His commands and decrees that were given for our own good. Therefore, it was not just the fear that was the basis of this compassionate relationship, but a 'God-fearing lifestyle' that begins with the fear and includes the rest of them.
Today, I pray that you will decide to live this "God-fearing life." May the blessings of God the Father, the love and grace of Christ Jesus the Son, and the fellowship and guidance of the Holy Spirit, be with us as we continue to glorify Him.
May God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
Ebenezer Veerasingam
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"Who Am I?"
by Casting Crowns
