Friday 22 July 2011

Filled With Compassion

Some thoughts from my recent talks with God. I was reminded today how dangerous it is to judge. And I was thinking back to when I first became a Christian nearly 5 years ago, back then it didn't really touch me so much that people were on their way to hell, simply because everyone I liked was a Christian and everyone I didn't wasn't. Yes,looking back, that doesn't sound so good does it. Well now that's no longer the case. I know some people who I would really like to be in heaven with me, and as importantly to know God as I do, but it doesn't look likely.

I know that whatever wrong they are doing, that God still cares for them and wants them to come to Him as much as I do. I know I've probably shared this verse before but I still turn to it often. "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance". Amazing that. He is not a judging God to those people, but willing to forgive every sin. I know that to be like Jesus, this too ought to be my attitude.

There is a beautiful modern hymn which expresses it so well. I think I've said before how much I struggle with singing some old ones which talk about hell so bluntly and have no happy ending. Well this one says that God is "filled with compassion for all creation". Although it does have some blunt warnings ("having no Saviour they're lost forever if we don't speak out and lead them to You"), the ending is the happiest and most rewarding I have ever seen:

"From every nation we shall be gathered
millions redeemed shall be Jesus' reward
then He will turn and say to His Father
truly my suffering was worth it all!"

I would also like to share what God showed me about prayer the other day. I know I pray regularly, but this now takes on a new meaning. He reminded me of a song I know called "Somebody Prayed for Me". It talks about going to the "lifting their name to the throne of heaven, bringing them into His holy presence". Now that is amazing stuff really, and it's so easy to do! My next bit of the story is when I tried to find this song on the internet, I actually came up with another of the same name. This person says about the one who prayed for them: "they had me on their mind, they sacrificed their time to pray for me" and then even that "they had no doubt that God would bring me help, that He could change my life and set me free".

This is what I am praying for and if I could make a difference like this to someone, how great will that be?!

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