Category: devotional

Compassion

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

    And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.”  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, “Where have you laid him?”  They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”  And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11: 28-37.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

    Upon arriving, Jesus observed Mary and Martha weeping over the loss of their brother.  He was immediately filled with compassion and empathy; His heart was grieved and He began weeping with them.  And yet not one of Christ’s tears was shed for Lazarus (whom He would soon raise from the dead.) Instead, Jesus cried because He empathized with those who were mourning.  Concerning compassion, God has no equal; He’s filled with it.  Compassion is defined as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate their suffering.”

    One day I happened by a man named Eric.  He was sitting outside of a coffee shop, slouching in a chair; he looked more dead than alive.  He was sweating profusely, and his skin was pale and clammy. His clothes were also old and ragged.  Having witnessed his pain, my heart was moved with compassion.  I promptly sat down and began speaking with him.  He informed me that he was withdrawing from heroine and was very sick.  I took him out to eat and provided him with some clean clothes.  I also ministered to him as best I could.  As his condition worsened, I drove him to the hospital and sat with him in the emergency room for hours; I even accompanied him in to see the doctor.  After being treated he was released.  Before dropping Eric off, I paid for his prescription and made sure he had enough food for the evening.  Nearly a year later, Eric showed up at the coffee shop to say hello.  He told me that after our interaction, he had nearly died of a heart infection and was hospitalized for an extended period of time.  He thanked me for my efforts, and said that without my assistance, he might not be alive.  He was grateful that (‘even when his friends had abandoned him’) someone had cared enough to help.  Despite his personal gratitude, I reminded Eric that it was God who deserved the credit; for it was God who had filled my heart with compassion; and in turn, it was the Lord who had moved me to act.

     Because Jesus Christ is filled with compassion, His followers are as well.  In turn, He moves human beings to accomplish great acts of kindness and mercy.  The closer we are to God, the more compassion we will feel for those who are hurting.  When someone is struggling, God feels their pain and inspires others to comfort them.  Wherever mercy and love abound, the Spirit of God is at work.  However, where there is indifference and a lack of compassion, there is an absence of Godliness.  There are so many broken people in this world who need to be loved.  May God’s compassion lead us to act; may we feel what God feels; may we see with His eyes; may we be filled with mercy, and may God use us to relieve the suffering of others.

     “Lord Heavenly Father, we desire to know You and to be filled with Your compassion.  Inspire us; that our hearts may be sensitive to those who are hurting.  Give us the strength to be kind when others are in need. May we love our families, our friends, and even those who are complete strangers.  Use us to express Your merciful benevolence.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name we pray.  Amen.”  God bless all of you!

Letting Go, Grabbing Hold

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

     “Again, the kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Mathew 13: 45-46.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

     The message of “The kingdom of God,” is priceless; it is a treasure more valuable than gold and silver, and more precious than diamonds.  For contained within it is the love of God and the gift of eternal life.  As Jesus preached the message, a fortunate few recognized the truth and were willing to trade in everything they possessed to receive the Lord’s everlasting gift.  Many who came to believe willingly sacrificed great wealth, time, relationships, homes, and positions of prestige within the community, in order to take hold of the true riches of God’s everlasting kingdom.  As believers, we too are called to let go of the world in order to fully embrace Christianity.

    Interestingly enough, some people make a living letting go of one thing so they can grab hold of another.  Trapeze performers for example, swing effortlessly back and forth, high above cold concrete floors.  For these men and women, timing and precision can mean the difference between living and dying.  The individual who risks their life to spin through the air must know when to let go of their swing and when to grab hold of their partner dangling from the opposite swing.  So too, the gospel is a message about ‘letting go’ and ‘grabbing hold;’ no one can ‘grab hold’ of the Kingdom of God unless they fist ‘let go’ of whatever they are clinging too in this world.  For the believer, the pursuit of empty rewards must end, and the pursuit of Godly rewards must begin.

     Sadly, during the Lord’s public ministry, thousands simply passed by Him as He spoke; they chose to cling to their own lives rather than to grab hold of God and the life He was offering them.  Today, the Lord is still speaking; His message is still being proclaimed throughout the world.  And yes, even today many still choose the temporary pleasures of this life over the eternal peace of God.  They refuse because the Christian life is not easy.  There are many trials and hardships that accompany genuine faith.  Self-sacrifice and self-denial aren’t always popular, but they are necessary.  May we all choose to let go of our selfish pursuits.  May we loosen our grasp on the things of this world and grab hold of and embrace the free gift of God.

   “Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You and we ask that You give us the strength to avoid selfish pursuits; we long to serve others, and to sacrifice our lives to accomplish Your desires.  May we receive your kingdom with gladness, and may we let go of anything that is hindering us from completely submitting to Your perfect will.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.”  God bless all of you!

The Real Jesus

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

    And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to him, “Are you the coming one, or do we look for another?”  Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of me” (Mathew 11: 2-6.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

    John, believing Jesus to be the long awaited messiah, erred in assuming he would immediately usher in an earthly kingdom; thereby putting an end to the oppressive Roman rule. While in captivity, the prophet had grown impatient with Jesus; sending messengers to Him from his prison cell. ‘Was He truly the long awaited savior; or should they look for another?’ Jesus responded by quoting an ancient prophecy describing the Messiah’s good works. He would heal the blind, raise the dead, and preach the gospel to the poor; the very same acts that Jesus was accomplishing. The Lord then addressed John’s uneasy heart, saying, “Blessed are those who are not offended because of Me.” John was expecting a conquering messiah, not a messiah that would conquer sin through crucifixion. Like John, many today have an inaccurate perception of who the messiah actually is. Knowing the real Jesus is an absolute necessity if we are to properly follow Him.

    Shortly after my conversion, I decided I could no longer call myself a Christian unless I actually knew who Jesus Christ was. I had to read the bible for myself; knowing full well that in so doing, many of my previously held beliefs would be challenged and transformed. In order to grab hold of the truth, I had to abandon my fuzzy perceptions of God. As I read the scriptures, I came to accurately know my creator. Still, instead of being disappointed, I was filled with awe and wonder. The real Jesus is far more spectacular than any messiah I could have ever imagined.

    Do you know the real Jesus; or are you clinging to some incorrect perceptions?  Have you invented a messiah, or have you discovered Him? Read His words; uncover His works; His message; and His truth; and you too will find something more amazing than you have ever known; and your life will never be the same.

    “Lord Heavenly Father, we seek to know the real Jesus.  Place His words in our hearts, that we might walk as disciples; exhibiting obedience in all that we do. May we never run from the truth, but rather, may we embrace it. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name; amen.” God bless all of you!