Mar 19 2009
Finding Comfort in His Tender Compassions
It only recently struck me that our God is an incredible study in contrasts. On the one hand He’s holy and righteous and can tolerate no sin. On the other He loves us with an everlasting love and has done everything in His power to bring us into intimate fellowship with Him. Interesting, isn’t it, how He resolved the dilemma of sin and separation?
It blows my mind that anyone with His kind of power should also be compassionate and loving, seeing past what we are to envision what we can be, in Him. I often have to ask Him to let me see others through heaven’s eyes. In Him there’s hope for even the worst of us!
In humans terms, it’s been proven true repeatedly that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, but not so with our God. Rather than using His power to elevate Himself on the backs of those at the bottom of the heap, He takes each of us by the hand and lifts us up. Our God is personally interested, tender-hearted, and compassionate toward His creation. It says He takes note when a sparrow falls, and He bottles our tears. Our heartaches don’t go unnoticed, and if we ask, He is there to touch our bodies, calm our fears, liberate our minds, and lift our hearts as only He can.
But do we run to Him, the only One who can address our issues? Or do we run to men first, seeking aid that only God can give? It must break His heart to know He is able to help and see us walk away, seeking to console ourselves without Him.
As Scripture so eloquently puts it, “He is our shelter in the time of storm, the shade on our right hand, and the lifter of our heads. He is our peace, our supply, our counselor and comforter, the light unto our path, and our high tower. He is the shepherd who feeds His sheep, and protects them. What more could we ask? But will we bow our hearts?
As amazing as it sounds, we are transformed in His presence. Our character is changed into His very likeness when we spend time with Him.
The time is coming when He’d better be everything to us, or we simply won’t overcome until the end. It won’t be humanly possible to survive without Him.
So what will we do? Will we acknowledge Him as our everything and run to Him? He’s waiting, but time is short. He wants us to lay aside our issues, cast our cares upon Him, and take our places as witnesses and prayer warriors, reflecting His tender compassion in the fullness of the Spirit to those who have ears to hear.
What will we do with Jesus?
Because of His great love,
Nancy
