OUR IMAGE OF GOD

What comes into your mind when you think about God?  The great preacher A.W. Tozer wrote that "we tend, by a secret law of the soul, to move toward our mental image of God."  So it's crucial that our idea of God correspond as nearly as is possible to the true being of God.

Certainly, in our limited human condition, we cannot think of God as He really is.  But if we are drawing our image of God from the wrong sources, then He'll be too small.

Today, since "spirituality" is so big in our culture, celebrities and people of influence often talk about their relationship with God... but for many, God seems to be a vague deity they've made up, a personalized edition of a spiritual force who exists to make people feel good about themselves.

We need to take care not to be squeezed into the mindset of the culture around us.  In every situation of each day, we have a choice.  We can fix our attention on ourselves, and recast God in our own image.  Or we can fix our attention on God, as the Scriptures really reveal Him to be. 

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6)

-- Ellen Vaughn in “Daily Seeds from Women Who Walk in Faith” 

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COMFORT AND COMPASSION

Editor’s Note: Today, January 21, is the anniversary of the birth of our son, Dustin (1982-1998). Today’s author, Nancy Guthrie, offered many of the lessons she learned from the loss of two of her children in her first book, “Holding On to Hope: A Pathway of Suffering to the Heart of God” which was published in 2002. Since then, Nancy has continued to write books that reflect her compassion for hurting people and her passion for applying God's Word to real life.

COMFORT AND COMPASSION

“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 receive from God.”  (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV)

Ours is not a culture that is comfortable with sadness.  Sadness is awkward.  It is unsettling.  It ebbs and flows and takes its own shape.  It beckons to be shared.  It comes out in tears, and we don't quite know what to do with those.

So many people are afraid to bring up my loss.  They don't want to upset me.  But my tears are the only way I have to release the deep sorrow I feel.  I tell people, "Don't worry about crying in front of me, and don't be afraid that you will make me cry!  Your tears tell me you care, and my tears tell you that you've touched me in a place that is meaningful to me -- and I will never forget your willingness to share my grief." 

-- Nancy Guthrie in “Holding On to Hope”

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DISCIPLESHIP… COMPASSIONATE CARING

"As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."  (Colossians 3:12 NIV)

South African pastor Trevor Hudson identifies compassionate caring as the distinguishing mark of faithful discipleship: “Compassionate caring creatively balances the inward-outward dynamic so characteristic of Jesus’ life, saves us from falling prey to the latest fad in the spiritual supermarket, and catapults our lives into a deeper engagement with the brokenness of our world.” 

In a world saturated with spiritual trends and political slogans, Trevor Hudson’s words cut through the noise with clarity: true discipleship is marked not by novelty, but by compassion. Jesus didn’t chase popularity or perform for applause. He moved toward the broken, the weary, the overlooked -- with a heart full of mercy and a life poured out in love.

Compassionate caring is not sentimentalism. It’s a radical posture of the heart that refuses to separate spiritual formation from social engagement. It’s the kind of love that listens deeply, acts boldly, and suffers willingly. It’s the inward transformation that spills outward into a world aching for grace.

When we embrace this rhythm -- being formed by Christ and sent in His name -- we resist the temptation to treat faith as a consumer product or a political tool. Instead, we become conduits of healing, agents of hope, and reflections of the One who came not to be served, but to serve. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™, compiled from a variety of sources

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BEING ANGRY WITH GOD – Part 2 of 2

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” (Psalm 34:17-19 NIV)

God understands our anger, and when we pray, it’s a good thing to tell Him what we honestly feel. But sustained bitterness toward the Lord who loves us is irrational and unwise.

In fact, in 1999 the “Journal of Health Psychology” reported an interesting study. Social psychologist Julie Joula-Exline and her team of researchers found a link between anger toward God and anxiety and depression. Those who couldn’t get beyond their resentment toward God were more likely to experience problems with negative emotions. The good news, according to Juola-Exline, was that “those who were able to forgive God for a specific, powerful incident reported lower levels of anxiety and depression.”

“Forgiving God” is a term I’d rather avoid. It implies that God has done something wrong that requires our pardon. We should underline the statement that by perfection of His nature, God will not and cannot do wrong. What seems like misdeed is mystery. The important thing to remember is that His love and compassion are perfect, unbroken, and forever. 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down”

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STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, AND TRUST - Part 2

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea… ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’”  (Psalm 46:1-2,10 NKJV)

Psalm 46 talks about earthquakes felling mountains, cities being destroyed, nations being in an uproar, kingdoms crumbling… The overall tone of the psalm is anything but quiet and still. One sentence, however, says to “be still” and the focal point of emotion changes from outside chaos to internal rest. That’s why the psalm was written as a song. It proclaimed a message everyone needed to hear.

Let the truth of this verse find a home in your heart today. When life gets busy or chaotic, it’s easy to get distracted. You wind up focusing on problems instead of the One who holds the answer to your problems in His hands. When that happens, stop. Focus on who God is and how much He loves you. Share your own heartfelt psalm of prayer with the God of power and compassion. Be still and know God is near. 

-- From “100 Favorite Bible Verses”

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COMPASSION AND RESTORATION

Seasons of chaos and storms are inventible in life. These seasons can make you feel as if all is lost and abandoned, because the wreckage of what is left from the storm can feel daunting and beyond repair. The beauty of Christ is that He not only is the Lord of restoration, but He is the God of making all things new in His time and work…

Throughout the scriptures it is clear that when God seeks to restore, compassion is coupled along with that intention. Jeremiah 34:26 shares, “For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.” It is God’s heart for His chosen people to not only restore, but to compassionately restore something even better than before… When the Father seeks to rebuild, it is not as we would expect. He does not merely replace the item on the shelf that was broken, He gives something better…

God is the God of restoration and compassion. Come before Him today with hands open to what He will do to not only restore, but to make better than all you could ever ask for or imagine through and by and rooted in Him, the giver of all good things. 

-- Excerpts from an article by Cally Logan entitled “A Powerful Prayer for Restoration” at crosswalk.com

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COMPASSION FOR OUR DEFENSES

“When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’”  (John 20:19-21 NRSV)

God does not condemn us for our wounded ability to trust.  You and I often tightly close our inner doors out of confusion, fear, and pain. God understands that our inner defenses, our emotional armor, our separating walls have grown in us for a reason.  And this God of limitless mercy will not kick down our doors, tear off our masks and armor, or go away angry.

This God, whom we see through Jesus, will continually come to us through our defensive doors, to be with us in power and comfort in our darkness.

-- Flora Slosson Wuellner in “Heart of Healing, Heart of Light”, published by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.   Used with permission.

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COMPASSION NOT JUDGMENT

We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn’t see the blows he took yesterday. We judge a woman for the limp in her walk, but cannot see the tack in her shoe. We mock the fear in their eyes, but have no idea how many stones they have ducked or darts they have dodged.

Are they too loud? Perhaps they fear being neglected again. Are they too timid? Perhaps they fear failing again. Too slow? Perhaps they fell the last time they hurried. You don’t know. Only one who has followed yesterday’s steps can be their judge.

Not only are we ignorant about yesterday, we are ignorant about tomorrow. Dare we judge a book while chapters are yet unwritten? Should we pass a verdict on a painting while the artist still holds the brush? How can you dismiss a soul until God’s work is complete? “God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure He will continue until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.” (Philippians 1:6) 

-- Max Lucado in “In the Grip of Grace”

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THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV)

The word COMPASSION comes from two Greek roots: COM meaning "with" and PASSIO meaning "to suffer". To be compassionate is to enter into the suffering of another person and share in the pain -- “to suffer with.” When the burden of pain is shared, it is lightened. Each of us can point to experiences where a friend, a loved one, a nurse, a pastor, or a counselor helped us by understanding our pain and sharing it. This is what Christ does when we are hurting: Christ enters our pain and, in effect, wipes away our tears. 

-- Adapted from “Prepare Him Room” by Robert Martin Walker

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THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV)

The compassion of our Lord never fails. As we live in this world we very soon discover some failed compassion. We find people who really don't stick by our side for the long haul. We realize the frailty of human beings and we may even discover that in the final analysis most people take care of themselves first and foremost. I am not a pessimist generally but experience shows us that often the compassion we receive from people, places and things offer no comparison to the compassion from God that never fails. No excuses, no external "uncontrollable" events and no made up stories to justify failed compassion. You see, God IS the story and He IS life and His promises have stood the test of time and trial from the Garden of Eden to the present. God never lies and He never fails to keep even one of His promises. 

-- Pastor Gary Stone 

#5002

DAILY RENEWAL

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV)

To prepare for flight, the eagle spends an hour each day preening its feathers.  Perched high on a rock, the eagle methodically passes each feather, up to 1200 in all, through its mouth and breathes on each one.  This action produces a similar effect to steam cleaning.  Once the feathers are restored, the eagle is ready to soar through the sky.

The eagle also has a gland that secretes an oily liquid, making its feathers waterproof.  When it rains or the bird dives into water after prey, the eagle's feathers do not become heavy with water or endanger its ability to fly.

We, too, must renew ourselves daily before the Lord or we will become "grounded."  Without those necessary "quiet times," cares and concerns bring on anxieties and fears that slow us down.  We take on burdens we were never meant to carry... Worry comes from natural concerns that are part of our lives.  But when these legitimate concerns are handled wrongly, they dominate our lives.  Worry can make us forget that our caring God is in control and cause us to wonder about our future, over which we have no control.

Renewing ourselves is a daily process just as it is for the eagle.

-- Sheryl Lynn Hill in “Soar as the Eagle”

#4967

OUR COMPANION IN OUR SUFFERING

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:4 NIV)

One of the ways in which Jesus is dear to Christians who pray is in His presence to them in times of trouble. For some, Jesus is a brother and companion, the one who accompanies them, who walks along the way with us, who has been where humans have been. He is the Jesus whom the Gospel of John presents as weeping for the death of His friend Lazarus, whom He loved; who sweats blood during the agony in the garden and wrestles with the will of God and the evil of the world, when all His friends have fallen asleep; who later that day cries out on the cross. For others, Jesus is the one who lifts burdens, who takes it from us so we do not have to bear it on our own. For many, He is both. Either way, Jesus is presence… Jesus is God made visible, God made human -- God close to our trials and our everyday life, not distant or uninvolved. This is not the fix-all God or the magician God. The God to whom or with whom we pray in our sufferings is not God as explanation, but God as companion -- a God who suffers and knows suffering…

God as companion in our suffering is both the One who suffers with us and the One on whom we lean. Psalm 46 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a vey present help in trouble.” 

-- Jane Redmont in “When in Doubt, Sing: Prayer in Daily Life”

#4841

TENDER AND COMPASSIONATE

“The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust.”  (Psalm 103:13-14 NLT)

Several years ago a man I know was going through the painful process of trying to break an addiction. One day he asked me if I would joy down a list of encouraging Scriptures that he could carry with him at all times. Happy to do it, I chose ten of my favorites, typed them up, and handed the list to him at church. A few weeks later, I asked him if he still had the list and was using it. He said he was, and that the Scripture he found most encouraging was number six on the list, none other than Psalm 103:13-14.

He said he’d grown up with the notion that Jesus was a strict disciplinarian who was watching his every move, just waiting for him to slip up. He said the guilt and fear that image created in him was paralyzing. Then he read David’s words from Psalm 103, and it was as if the sun broke through the clouds. The words “tender” and “compassionate” were words he’d never associated with God. Suddenly, he had a whole new appreciation for Jesus, a deeper love for Him than ever before, and a stronger desire than ever to try to please Him.

-- Mark Atteberry in “Free Refill: Coming Back for More of Jesus”


#4751

TURNING TO JESUS IN OUR PAIN

“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.”  (Isaiah 53:3 NIV)

We may not get the answer to the problem of pain that we want from Jesus.  We get instead the mysterious confirmation that God suffers with us.  We are not alone.  Jesus bodily reconstructs trust in God.  Because of Jesus, I can trust that God truly understands my condition.  I can trust that I matter to God, and that God cares, regardless of how things look to me at the time.  When I begin to doubt, I turn again to the face of Jesus, and there I see the compassionate love of a God well acquainted with grief.

-- Philip Yancey in “The Bible Jesus Read”

#4195

THE CALL OF GOD

The image you hold of God can affect your desire to answer the call of God in your life. For example, if you feel God is to be feared, you are unlikely to enthusiastically seek a way to use the gifts God has bestowed on you. You will be too concerned about putting a foot wrong.


If you see God as an angry God, you may be so worried about making a mistake that you cannot focus on gaining a clearer vision of life’s calling.


If, on the other hand, you see God as compassionate, you will have the freedom to explore various pathways toward clarifying that calling. Knowing God is compassionate encourages you to understand that God is patient with growing things. God is patient with you.


-- Ann Siddall and Gary Stuckey in Tending the Seed: Nurture Your God-Given Potential, © 2005. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books.




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