God’s compassion overwhelms me. His gentleness, kindness, and humility make me uncomfortable. He is too generous for my proud heart. As much as I treasure the following verses they are difficult to accept. Ponder with me the depth of God’s compassion.
The Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore He will rise up to show you compassion.
Isaiah 30:18
God longs to be gracious to me! He is not the harsh judge I imagined in my childhood. He looks at me with compassion and longs—yearns, wants, desires—to show me grace. He rises up to bless me! He sees my need and stands from His throne to pour His grace into my life.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left,
your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,
“This is the way; walk in it.”
Isaiah 30:21
The Lord is conscious of the direction I’m going and the confusion I feel. Rather than leaving me to figure things out, He comes beside me and whispers to my heart. when I veer to the right or the left my God speaks wisdom to me and corrects my course. “This is the way, Barbara. Walk in it.”
You give me your shield of victory,
and Your right hand sustains me;
You stoop down to make me great.
Psalm 18:35
God’s shield and right hand protect and support me, which are awe-inspiring blessings. It would be enough for God to give me victory and nourish me, but He does more, and the next phrase is hard to receive. He stoops down to make me great!
Selah—pause and calmly think about these verses.
Oh, my Lord, You care so deeply for Your children! How woefully unaware we are of the intensity of Your compassion. How generous is Your grace, how humble Your heart! Our best praise is inadequate to express the depth of our gratitude.
BARBARA HIGBY 