Tag: El Roi

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Compassion For Today

Dear sister,

If I’m honest, I’d tell you I hate going through trials.  Hate it.  Yet it is in trials when I really need to cling to the character of God.  One of His many character facets is compassion.  He is a compassionate God.  But what does that mean and how can it help us in the depths of despair?  Sister, let us look to scripture to help us figure out why the compassion of God matters to us today.

Biblically, compassion seems to imply empathy (sympathy or understanding) with action.  In the Old Testament, God often had compassion on Israel after they had disobeyed Him.  He had compassion on them and forgave them of their sin or gave them relief from a trial.  Micah 7:19 says, “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” In Lamentations, Jeremiah writes, “but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love (3:32).”  As we move to the New Testament, compassion is mostly used just before Jesus healed, fed, or taught people (Mark 6:34, 8:2; Lk 10:33).  So scripture seems to teach that God’s compassion is most given when sin, sickness, or physical ailments abound.  When these people were in their most need, God had compassion.  He felt deep sorrow and pain with them and then met their genuine need.  He healed, fed, cast out demons, and forgave sins, not because they earned it, but out of His compassionate love, grace, and mercy.

We serve a God who sees.  In fact, that is one of his names, El Roi.  He sees us in our despair, however that looks in our lives.  Perhaps you need Him to help provide for your family?  Or for Him to heal a sickness that threatens you or a loved one?  Maybe you need Him to see a spiritual or mental anguish that needs to be released? Does God still see us and give His compassion to us today?

Yes, sweet sister!  The same God that healed the leper, that touched the woman that bled, that forgave Israel for her spiritual adultery can answer your prayer today.  He sees your pain and sadness and still acts on it with His compassion.  But there is also a dig deeper way that He has shown His compassion.

God has seen His broken creation groan under the curse of Adam for thousands of years.  Millions of deaths, untold numbers of sickness, pain, and sadness that we thought were unseen.  Yet God had compassion on this creation that once was good and sent His Son, Jesus, to come and live the life that we could never live, by obeying God perfectly.  Then Jesus died the death that we deserve because of our sin.  God’s action was killing His beloved Son.  Yet Jesus did not stay in the grave, He rose again three days later cancelling our penalty of death forever!  His compassion results in our forgiveness and eternal life!  What hope that gives us in our sufferings!  That God’s compassion will end all sorrow, pain, and suffering.  We will see Jesus face to face and only have joy forever in heaven with Him!  Yes!  God’s compassion matters to us today!

Your sister in Christ,

Colleen

 

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Affliction Seen

Dear Sister,

I found an unlikely source for this month’s topic: Hagar, Sarai’s Egyptian maid in Genesis 16. When her name comes up, Abram has already been promised a son by the Lord, through whom the creation of a new nation would come. This son had not materialized in a pregnancy of her own, so Sarai determined the baby must need to come through her maid, Hagar. In due time, Hagar was pregnant and suddenly disdainful of her mistress. Sarai, whose objective was met in her maid’s pregnancy, was furious with her maid’s new attitude and treated her (with Abram’s approval) accordingly. So, Hagar ran away.

The Lord met Hagar in the desert and told her to return to her Sarai and submit to her authority. He said that Hagar’s descendants would be too many to count. And, He noted her affliction.

He did not take away her pain, trials, or frustration. In fact, He told her to go back to them and face them. He told her He was going to bless her with many descendants, but her son (who God called Ishmael: “God hears”) would be a man full of struggles.

Hagar’s story certainly did not have the fairy tale ending for which we have a proclivity. Her story was one of difficulty and disappointments—she never rose above her servant status; but then we read Hagar’s words in Genesis 6:13, “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are a God who sees’; for she said, ‘Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?’” The Bible records an obstinate servant girl’s name for God! El Roi – God sees.

In the midst of our affliction, especially those of us who are believers—children of the promise through the blood of Jesus Christ—we can be confident that He is El Roi. He sees, works with and through our trials to bless us, to perfect us, to bring honor to His name through us. God does not idly flip through the channels of our lives, missing our pain. Rather, He meets us in our deserts, confronts us and blesses us even in the dust. He sees!

Running with you,

Rebecca