Receive His Compassion

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The Devo:

Luke 15:20 - “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”

The story of the prodigal son is a beautiful illustration of how the Father’s compassion reaches into the depths of our sin, our shame, and our unfaithfulness and sets our feet on the rock of his love.

The son, deciding that he wants to leave home, takes his inheritance, and uses it to indulge his every whim. Once the resources run dry and he has no choice but to return to his father’s house, he does so with his head hung in shame, expecting to be treated like a servant.

Instead, he is welcomed and celebrated as the son he has always been.

The same tender-hearted welcome awaits us when we return. No matter how long we have been away, what we have done, or how we have ignored His call, we are brought into the embrace of a Father who sees it all and

instead of condemnation, looks at us with understanding and redeeming love.

Hebrews 4:15-16 assures us that Jesus understands our weakness because He faced the same trials and temptations we faced and remained pure. He triumphed over the tests so that we would know that through Him, we too are victorious. Although He grieves when we grieve, He also intercedes for us, encouraging and empowering us to overcome all that causes us to fall short. He calls us to come boldly to His throne, lift our heads, look into His eyes, and receive mercy to carry on.

Then, once we have accepted that grace and mercy, He sends us out to be a vessel of His compassion: to seek the lost, the broken, and the rejected.

He calls us to sit with the ones who are stuck in the mire of their sin and unable to believe that they could ever be forgiven or that their lives could ever be redeemed.

The compassion of God is greater than we will ever comprehend. It sees worth in the one the world has cast aside. It restores the most broken life and heals the deepest wounds. It pours out belonging on the rejected and breathes purpose into the overlooked.

There is no life beyond the reach of His compassion and as His children and co-heirs with Christ,

we have been given the tremendous privilege and responsibility of being carriers of that compassion to see the ones He loves lift their heads and live free.

Questions to ponder:

How would you rate your level of compassion towards others between 1-10?
Have you been running from God because you believe you are too far gone to receive His compassion and mercy?
What do you need to bring to Him and exchange for grace and forgiveness?
Who in your life needs to encounter compassion today? How can you be the conduit for them to receive mercy and start fresh?

Declaration:

I receive God’s love and worth so I can pour out His compassion and blessings on others!

Prophetic Postcards: Category=Send this to a close friend

1. Pick one of the Postcards. 2. Ask Holy Spirit who this is for? 3. Look at the card and ask Holy Spirit for a prophetic word (from God's heart) or a word of encouragement for them (from your heart). 4. Right click on the image, download to your pictures. 5. Text or email the picture to them with your word.