DIVINE COMPASSION

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14, NIV)

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:34, NIV).

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” (Mark 1:41, NIV).

Have you even noticed the connection between the times when the Bible says that Jesus was “moved with compassion,” and the dynamic flow of God’s healing or delivering power? The word translated “compassion” in all of these verses means much more than feeling pity for someone’s condition. This term is very descriptive and powerful. It speaks of a deep yearning that comes up from the center of your being. Biblical compassion is more than an emotion. What Jesus was feeling was the deep, insatiable, almost overpowering, desire to set a person free from their affliction. This kind of compassion always moves a person to action, and that action releases the power of God on the scene.

Certainly in our modern language, we use the term compassion to describe what we feel when we see people in various kinds of distress. You might feel compassion for the needy, the downtrodden, those who are hungry or in need of medical attention. All of that is fine, but today I want to direct your attention to another kind of compassion–a compassion that flows through you right from the heart of God.

I believe that the same flow of compassion that preceded many of the miracles of Jesus, flows through His disciples today. After all, Jesus said that those who believe in Him would do the same works that He does, and even greater works. I think it’s important for us to stay sensitive to the flow of, for lack of a better term, God-compassion, that rises up within us. This compassion may arise in a time of prayer, and lead you to pray for people and situations that you may or may not even know about personally. This compassion may rise up and lead you to lay hands on a desperately ill person and see them recover. Compassion may lead you to give beyond your limits, or simply share a word of encouragement.

Whatever the case, if you will respond to this compassionate flow you will become a conduit for the life of God. Some of the most powerful times of ministry that Karen and I have ever experienced have been preceded by this sense of God’s yearning toward an individual. I haven’t always even known exactly what the Lord wanted to do, but there was no mistaking what He was feeling toward that person. In every case, if I have been obedient to do what God showed me to do in that moment, I got to be a part of something truly miraculous.

Let’s let our prayer lives be led by His compassion. Let’s go into each day asking the Lord who He wants to touch through us today. Then simply keep your eyes on Jesus, and stay sensitive to His instructions. You will be amazed at what He wants to do through you.