HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 72
page A70
Compassion continued
• L U K E 6 :3 5 -3 6 | “He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be
compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” (See note on page 927.)
A compassion like God’s is based on the loving heart of the giver, not the loving heart of
the recipient.
• PSA L M 5 1 :1 | Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your
great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
A compassion like God’s gives mercy when it isn’t deserved.
• PSA L M 7 9 :8 | Let your compassion quickly meet our needs, for we are on the brink of despair.
• L U K E 7 :1 3 -1 5 | When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. . . . Then
he walked over to the coffin and touched it. . . . “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.”
Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! (See note on page 927.)
A compassion like God’s takes action in meeting people’s needs.
• I SA I A H 5 4 :7 | “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take
you back.”
A compassion like God’s pursues others to love and serve, even if they have rejected or
abandoned you.
• MAT T H E W 1 4 :1 4 | Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had
compassion on them and healed their sick.
C
• E PH E S I A NS 4 :3 2 | Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
A compassion like God’s forgives others and wants to help them.
HelpFinder
Why does God have such compassion for his people?
• NE H E MI A H 1 3 :2 2 | O my God! Have compassion on me according to your great and
unfailing love. (See note on page 440.)
God’s compassion flows from the depths of a heart of goodness.
PROMISE FROM GOD
• PSA L M 7 2 :1 2 | [God] will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed,
who have no one to defend them.
Compromise See also Communication; Conflict; Unity & Teamwork
I want my way and you want your way, and neither of us will give a little to get much.
How can we move forward? This is a familiar story, whether in business, in marriage,
in parent-child relationships, or in any relationship. Compromise is the art of negotiation so that both sides can win. There is a time to compromise—by giving a little, each
side gains much. Progress is made. But there is a time not to compromise. When the
forces of evil want their way, we cannot give in, even a little. To compromise God’s truth
or God’s ways or God’s Word even a little is to negotiate away that which is holy. To
give up an ounce of holiness to gain a pound of worldliness is not a bargain. The test of
acceptable compromise is simple: Do both sides ultimately win through compromise?
Unacceptable compromise is giving up too much to get too little.
When is compromise appropriate and how do we effectively compromise?
• E Z R A 1 0 :3 -4 | “We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the
commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law of God. Get up, for it is your
duty to tell us how to proceed in setting things straight. We are behind you, so be strong
and take action.”
Within the will of God and the commands he has given in Scripture, it is healthy to mutually
give up something for the common good. But it is never appropriate to compromise the
will of God as revealed in Scripture.