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All you have to do is turn on the news to see that people are going through some rough stuff.
Hungry and helpless mothers are suffering incomprehensible heartache as they watch their little ones starve to death. Men, women and children walk for miles in the blazing heat in hopes of a bowl full of food. There’s a famine in the land of Somalia.
The Nuban people are once again fleeing the mountains in an attempt to evade horrible persecution. They are hungry – they are thirsty and they are scared. That is in Sudan.
Believers are being tortured and killed because of their faith. Families are permanently separated and lives are destroyed…all because they trust Christ. That is in North Korea, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, China, Iran and a host of other countries.
In the United States flood waters have recently ravaged Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi. Throughout the world, hundreds of towns and villages have been washed away by mudslides, floods and tsunamis. People are dying by the droves as a result of natural disasters, unhealthy living conditions, oppression and persecution.
As you read today’s post, 60 families are without loved ones today in Iraq as a result of the crazed killings of people who think the murder of innocent lives will somehow promote their cause or win the favor of their god. My heart breaks when I hear that people are hurting and being hurt. But as much as it breaks my heart, I know that it breaks the heart of God so much more.
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 the Bible tells us God is the Father of Compassion and the God of All Comfort…
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
Our finite minds can’t comprehend why humans have to suffer so much. We may not be able to reconcile the goodness of God and the pain of human tragedy, but we can trust in the character of God.
We often hear of people who blame God for that which we can not understand. But we are fallen people who live in a fallen world and it is sin and satan who are the enemies of our souls.
God is the Redeemer of our fallen souls and this fallen world.
Today, I’m going to focus on our side of the compassion equation. Tomorrow, we’ll examine God’s side.
Suffering is a reality that calls the Christian to respond. The question is, are we doing our part? Do we really care enough to help the hurting. Do we allow the healing springs to flow from our own places of pain?
We show compassion because God showed compassion to us.
What we do unto the least of these, we do unto Jesus. What we do unto the least of the broken, the wounded, the hungry and the hopeless…we do unto Jesus!
In reality, the suffering of the human soul is an opportunity for the children of God to make an eternal difference in the lives of the hurting and be rewarded for it in the end. How cool is that!
So let’s get personal:
1. Who around you is going through a painful place in her life?
2. What are some ways you can minister to hurting hearts and lives today?
3. Do you trust God’s character in light of tragedy or do you struggle with blaming God?
4. Do you use your own painful places as a platform of praise and healing sauve for hurting hearts?
Extra Credit…
1. Make a list of local people, places and organizations in which you can help make a difference. Contact them and schedule a time to visit them and see how you can be of service. Intentionally pour yourself into others, one person at a time.
2. Go to the websites for Voice of Martyrs, Samaritans Purse, World Vision, Life Outreach and others. Examine the needs. Ask the Lord how you can help and then make a prayer list of those people and nations that need compassion.
An excellent way to think about and respond to all we're hearing, Stephanie. Thanks for such great perspective.
Thank you for sharing. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 is one of my life verses. It inspires me to live my life to help others through theirs.
Thank you for sharing. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 is one of my life verses. It inspires me to live my life to help others through theirs.
Amanda
Hi Julie ~ With all the needs out there, doesn't it make you wonder if we could and should be doing more for Jesus sake!
Hi Amanda ~ I forgot that was one of your life verses, but it sure does call us to intentional compassion, doesn't it! 🙂