Compassion for my fears

Nothing about my childhood ever made me afraid to go to sleep at night. My parents did not tease me with bogeyman stories or anything spooky or frightening. They must have been reassuring about other things for I don’t remember ever being severely frightened or even very anxious. Other than not liking the dentist very much (not my parents fault), I would try almost anything, including getting on those crazy horses that no one else would go near.

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:13)

In the last of this series about God’s compassion, Spurgeon says that kind fathers who see that their children are afraid will do whatever they can to remove that fear because of compassion for their little ones. This is a small reflection of God’s concern that His children are not afraid.

My Bible has 33 places where it says “do not fear” and 37 for “do not be afraid.” A book I just read says there are at least 365 total places where God encourages His people to have no fear.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

This tells me that fear is a faithless, weak, unloving and uncontrolled reaction on my part. It is also fueled by lies from my spiritual enemy who does not want me to trust God, be strong, love others and have a sound and self-controlled mind.

God has nothing to do with fear. It is not His idea, and when I struggle with it, I am in a spiritual battle. Fear indicates that my focus is not on the power and promises of God but on myself and my shortcomings. Since love is caring about others, fear drives love out too. God’s word contains many commands, but this one is repeated more often than any other; do not fear. Fear is the opposite of trust and faith, the opposite of power and victory. It makes love and sound thinking impossible. I cannot obey God and be fearful at the same time.

The problem with the command is that it sounds too much like “Don’t worry, be happy” as if worry and happiness are like faucets that can be turned off and on at will. This sort of determination does not work with fear either. The song says, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You ….” The question is: how can anyone move from being afraid of something or someone to a sound mind filled with confidence in God?

The psalmist said that the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him. Interesting. The God who tells me over and over to not be afraid also tells me to fear Him. Of course, the words are different. Mostly, “fear” is from the same root word as phobia. It is about terror, like the way I would feel if I opened the door and a ferocious lion walked into my house. Fear of God is from another word that means awe, reverence, similar to the emotion felt when looking at a giant crater or an enormous waterfall.

Fearing God carries with it the idea that no matter what else can make me afraid, God is bigger, better, more, or whatever He needs to be to overcome or overwhelm that fearful thing that threatens me. He can stop lions in their tracks (He did it for Daniel) and can take care of anything else that seems formidable or dangerous. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

His compassion means that when I am afraid, I can trust in Him to deal with the fears. He will either remove the emotion and give me confidence in Him, even boldness so I can move forward and overcome it, or He will remove whatever it is that is making me afraid.

A multitude of examples come to mind, but the ultimate fear (despite the reports about public speaking) is death. However, trusting God means believing what His Word says: that Jesus lived to share the human experience of life with all its trauma and trials, then died and was buried, then defeated that final enemy and rose from the tomb. Knowing that happened changes the way I feel about dying.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)

Because Jesus conquered death, what is there to fear? Because He has great compassion for those who fear Him, I can lay all my fears at His feet and let Him decide what is the best way to deal with them. As He does that, He also changes my phobias and gives me power, even boldness instead of weakness. His Spirit turns my focus to others so I can love them with a stable soundness of mind. Those fears are swallowed up by His grace to the point that I cannot remember what they were.

Because in His great compassion my Father can do all that, I stand in awe of Him.

Overwhelmed by His great compassion

Just as a mother bear will defend her cubs, human parents have been known to tackle a bear or far worse to protect their children. There is reason for that playground taunt, “My dad is bigger than your dad” for the child who says it knows that his father will protect him.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:11–13)

My heavenly father protects me too, a lesson learned the hard way. When wronged, my desire for revenge overwhelmed me, but the Spirit prevented me from taking action. The Lord reminded me of two things; one that He will avenge any wrong done to His people. Instead of taking matters into my own hands, I needed to rely on Him for justice in my situation.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily… (Luke 18:7–8)

At first, I thought that these verses came out of God’s desire for fair treatment. He is a holy and just God and He will right any wrongs. However, I began to see that my own sin deserves justice too. If God is going to “get even” with sinners, I should also fall into that same category.

The difference is that small word “elect.” Whatever else it means, these commands and promises are for the children of God, those who are reborn into His family because of faith in Jesus Christ. God’s wrath on my sin has already been poured out, not on me but on my Savior. Because of Jesus, I am God’s elect, His child.

The second thing God showed me is that He has compassion on His kids. He wants to right wrongs, but is also like a parent who dotes over his precious children — and my heavenly Father puts me into that precious category. Anyone who touches me, hits Him in His most vulnerable place.

For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye! (Zechariah 2:8)

Saul (who later became Paul) also discovered this truth the hard way. He was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, and went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

Bent on persecuting Christians, “he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. (Acts 9:1–5)

The compassion of Almighty God is such that He became a man and took my punishment, but He also lives in those who belong to Him. Whatever happens to me, He shares the experience. Whenever someone hurts me, likea rose trampled on the ground…  He steps forward and takes the blows upon Himself. 

(Image source)

Compassion for loneliness and pain

My Internet browser gives a few headlines each morning. Today it linked to pictures of huge icicles in the city where my husband is working this week. As I looked at the pictures, a wave of loneliness washed over me. He has been flying to that place for 3-4 days a week, every week this year but one.

I am usually okay with being by myself, but after two months of this, it is getting stale. Then I read today’s devotional and the timing is perfect.

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:13)

Spurgeon says that God has compassion on our pain and loneliness. If my heart is breaking over anything, including  my transgressions, my Father longs to heal me, just as a parent longs to ease the pain of their child. As the reading says, God has reasons for allowing any sort of suffering and will use it for my good and His glory. Yet in the process, He feels compassion for me.

I tend to rate low on the compassion scale, but notice changes as I experience God’s compassion, more easily weeping for those who hurt and feeling tenderness instead of annoyance at those who sin. Even so, some forms of suffering do not awaken sympathy in me, yet for God, any suffering in His family touches His heart.

Being alone is tolerable, yet for some, it is terrible. Yet Jesus knows that too. Before He was crucified, He said to His disciples,

Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. (John 16:32)

The apostle Paul said the same thing as he awaited execution in Rome. He wrote how his enemies opposed him in and even his friends were not there with him, but he was not alone.

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. (2 Timothy 4:16–17)

In what is called the Great Commission, Jesus told His disciples their life mission, but He also made a promise…

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20)

Christians are often without human companionship as we struggle with all kinds of sorrows. Jesus knew that we would feel abandoned at times and be lonely. Yet in His great compassion, He thought of a practical solution; regardless of our situation, none of His children are ever alone.

My Father’s forgiveness

When our family reminisces, the children occasionally come up with a blunder I made when they were small, and in fun poke me with my folly. Usually I don’t remember it. That is good, because I usually don’t remember their blunders either.

Imagine remembering every mistake, every sin, every dumb or foolish action. Life would either be laden with guilt or full of excuses. I’m so glad that Jesus died on the cross for all my sin and all is forgiven in His name.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:8–13)

God has freely provided compassion and forgiveness for the faults of His children. Not only that, He provides cleansing and free access to Him so I can admit sin and receive His amazing grace.

Spurgeon says that good children are “never satisfied until they get to their parents and ask their forgiveness.” I don’t know about the ‘good’ part, but I do know that when I sin, I’m so glad that God is available to me. While I might squirm and rationalize for a little while, “the kiss is on my cheek almost before the confession has left my lips.”

The Lord is always ready to forgive, but am I? when someone sins against me, can I offer them the same quick pardon? Or do I want them to grovel for awhile?

Today’s reading reminds me of my readiness to forgive my children and the blessing forgiveness has been in our own household. If it were not so, our family would have shattered long ago. The church, the children of God are also family, not by genetics, but by the blood of Christ. We ought to be just as quick to forgive them as our children, and certainly as faithful and just to forgive them as God forgives us.

Forgiveness isn’t about being glad to see someone sorry or groveling, or even about their confession and repentance. It is about Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin. Even on the cross when His enemies were pounding in the nails, He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Much like a loving parent, the love of my heavenly Father is not turned away when I blunder into sin. Because of Christ, His anger against my transgressions has already been poured out on the One who died for me. With that out of the way, He can gather me to Himself and say, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), blot out my transgressions and set my feet on a rock. Because of Jesus, He can even strengthen me so that sin tempts me no more.

Such a sweet, sweet thought — He does not deal with me according to my sins, nor repay me according to my iniquities, for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward me. As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove my transgressions from me! 

Will I ever grow up?

Online puzzles can be addicting. (I will not put in the link). The pictures are beautiful and there is nothing wrong with doing one or two puzzles, but doing one after the other until long after bedtime and being tired and not able to function well the next day reveals my childish inability to think about consequences.

Pointing to the same verse that I’ve read all week, the devotional reading says that, “In children there is something worse than ignorance and weakness, and that is their childish follies. A father and mother will put up with a thousand little ways in their children that strangers would frown at. There are all sorts of excuses made on their behalf, and it is right enough that it should be so. It is not weakness in children, it is just childishness. And so parents bear with their children.”

How true. I remember thinking my children were being cute with antics that I later wish I had not encouraged. I’ve watched parents laugh at behavior I might want to reward with a spanking. Our little ones are so precious in our eyes that we put up with far more than others would if they were tending them. So it is with God.

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:13)

However, in my black and white ways, others might see immaturity and I label it as rebellion, then turn around and miss it or excuse it in myself. I can be like a little child who thinks he owns the playground. I forget that even all my rules also apply to me.

In childish displays of thinking I know everything, those thoughts display how little I know. In childish pride, I think I am pleasing God, but in that smugness am totally displeasing Him. I turn around and evaluate the behavior of others with the certainty that God is not pleased with them, and fail to realize that my judgmental attitude is His first concern.

Spurgeon writes about childishness in terms of acting in ignorance, even acting without thinking or forgetting what I am supposed to do, like a child who does not know better, or is impulsive, or has been told but has not yet cemented that command in her memory. I am like that. My Father puts up with a lot of silliness.

Sometimes I also forget that He loves me with an everlasting, unconditional love. Sometimes I act without thinking about what He has taught me, or do things that I’ve said I’ll never do again, but wind up repeated them in a thoughtless and impulsive way.

I even forget about my Father’s compassion and then beat myself up for being such an idiot. I forget His great compassion demonstrated by His Son when He prayed for his murderers — “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

Jesus is like the Father who does the same with us; He forgives because we do not know what we do. We are like sheep and like children, sometimes willy-nilly without any sound judgment about anything.

Yet He has compassion. Jesus showed it toward Pilate when the man condemned Him to die. He said, “The one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin” (John 19:11). Pilate was guilty of great sin, but Jesus told him that there was a greater sin; it was the best he could say for Pilate, and a display of God’s compassion.

If my God has such kind thoughts ready for His adversaries, I can be certain that He has them ready for me, His child. Whether my behavior is sinful and wayward, or merely immature and unthinking, He has compassion on me. He does not laugh and certainly does not encourage my silliness, but sometimes I hear a sigh, and now and then I hear Him chuckling.