05-25-2025 Compassion in Action
Text: Psalm 78:38-39
One of the character traits that’s most lacking in this world today is compassion. What is compassion? It’s a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to reduce that suffering. We show compassion to others by treating them with tenderness, mercy, understanding, and forgiveness. Sadly, many are more concerned with themselves and are quick to judge others, ignoring what they may be experiencing in their lives that could have caused their action or reaction. As Christians, compassion is something that we have received, continue to receive, and are to give it to others. But all too often, we don’t. Each one of us can recall times when we responded to the actions or behaviors of someone with a harsh attitude and even a blast of angry and demeaning words. Each time we do that we’re displaying a lack of compassion.
Our text this morning is from the prophet and musician Asaph who served King David and King Solomon and wrote 12 of the Psalms. Asaph wrote in Psalm 78:38-39: “ (38) But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not; yea, many a time turned He His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath. (39) For He remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passes away and comes not again.” These two verses give us a beautiful description of the love of God and shows that He knows and understands our frailty because we’re under the constant pressure of our sinful nature. Earlier in the Psalm Asaph recounts many of God’s blessing to Israel that include how Israel was delivered from slavery, the opening of the Red Sea to save them from Pharaoh’s army, how God led them by a cloud during the day and a fire at night as they traveled in the wilderness, and how He fed them with manna so they didn’t starve.
He also writes of how Israel failed despite God’s continued faithfulness to them. Verse 32 tells that even all that God had done for them they still sinned and lacked faith. In verse 36, we learn they said good things about God, but they didn’t walk their talk. Verse 37 reveals the reason why: their hearts were not right with God. This weakened their faith and caused them to disobey Him. Yet they still received compassion from God as shown in verse 38 of our text. Let’s take a look at what comes from compassion.
Forgiveness comes from compassion. It’s what caused God to forgive Israel time and time again and it’s what caused Him to send His Son Jesus to show us a true picture of God our Father, how to live for Him, and provide a way for us to be restored to God’s family. Jesus had compassion for a hungry multitude and fed them as we are shown in Matthew 15:32. He showed compassion for two blind men and restored their sight as show in Matthew 20:34, and as we are told in Luke 7:13-14, He showed compassion for a widow when He resurrected her son. Think about the compassionate Christ on the Cross. He forgave those who cursed and crucified Him as recorded in Luke 23:34. And, He forgave a repentant thief during His last moment of life as written in Luke 23:43. Christ-like people, or Christians have many reasons to live compassionate and forgiving lives.
As verse 38 of our test tells us, grace also flows from compassion. God didn’t destroy the people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness. Instead, He showed them compassion by extending grace to the underserved. This same behavior applies to our salvation as Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9. We become Christians because of God’s unmerited grace, not as the result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. Out of gratitude for this free gift, our hearts should overflow with a desire to help and serve others with the same grace, kindness, love, and gentleness that has been shown to us. While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God intends for our salvation to result in acts of service. We’re not saved merely for our own benefit but rather to serve Jesus and build up the Church of God. When you receive a gift do you say, “that’s very nice – now how much do I owe you?” No. The appropriate response is “Thank you!” Yet too often Christians, even after they have been given the gift of salvation by grace, feel obligated to try to work their way to God. Because our salvation and even our faith are gifts, we’re to respond with gratitude, praise, and joy; and pass along to others the same opportunity for the gift of salvation that we have been given.
We see in verse 39 of our text that understanding flows from compassion. God understands that we are flesh led by the weakness of sin. This is why He repeatedly turned His anger away from Israel. This same grace is available to you and me today. He continually forgives our sins when we backslide and provides for our needs. Our God shows us again and again that He loves us. We see it played out in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. He loves us, forgives us, and realizes our weaknesses. To receive this love and forgiveness, we need to open our hearts and minds to His plan to save us, confess our sins and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to doing our very best to follow Him. Compassion is what makes redemption possible. It takes the shortness of our earthly life into account because without compassion we would be like a wind that passes away. Instead, we now have the promise of eternal life in the presence of our compassionate Lord.
If we’re honest with ourselves, we can see how God has held back His anger with us. Especially when we repeat the same sins over and over again. We do be the same with those we encounter in our daily lives. We must do our best to be slow to anger and quick to forgive. When we look back on our interactions with others, it will be easy to see how our actions show a lack of compassion. If it’s possible, we should find a way to fix it and to settle what went wrong. Last week I told you that forgiving those who have hurt us is for our well-being and not for the person that has caused the pain. Holding on to that hurt and anger allows us to relive it again and again which only hurts us more. Forgive, forget, and let go never to think about it again. Too many believe that they can forgive but never forget. That’s not true forgiveness and will result in the hurt never going away.
God shows so much compassion for us, His most prized creation. He sent Jesus to show us how much He loves us. By looking at how Jesus lived, we know what the Father is like. Jesus willingly paid the price for our sins. When we think about that, how can we not show compassion to others? This morning, I challenge all of us to look within ourselves to see just how compassionate we really are and then do whatever we need to do to get our hearts right with God. We should always work hard to live our lives exercising the grace, forgiveness. and understanding that God gives to us.
Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.