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God of Grace and Compassion!
Carl HigashiNehemiah 9:31
“Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them,
For You are a gracious and compassionate God.
Acts 2:25-28
25For David says of Him, ‘I saw the Lord always in my presence;
For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.
26‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted;
Moreover my flesh also will live in hope;
27Because You will not abandon my soul to Hades,
Nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
28‘You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’
There was clearly something that both Nehemiah and David saw in the Character of God, great characteristics emphasized are grace and compassion. Despite of the Israelites continuously reverting back to sin, God with His never ending grace and compassion consistently forgives them over and over. Although not withholding major consequences for their sins.
In Acts 2, Paul recognized that in the Old Testament writings, David understood what it meant to be in the presence of God, the Spirit of the Lord was something that was very real to him. God’s presence gave David confidence that no matter what the situation, no matter how bad if may be, if his life was endanger or if his sin included murder or adultery, God was there with him through the good and the worst of situations.
Because of David’s knowledge of God’s grace and compassion, David would always be able to rejoice in and praise the Lord! He knew that God is the lover of his soul and that He would never abandon him. God spoke to Him regularly and also convicted him as he read the word of God or was spoken to by people (Samuel, Nathan, and others). He knew the ways to life and life everlasting and because of his eternal hope in God, he knew that in the end, a life lived in obedience to God would guarantee a life of fulfillment eternally!
In the good times and the bad, always acknowledge God’s presence in my life by:
- Praising Him
- Confessing and repenting of sin in my life daily knowing I am in His presence
- Trust that He will always be with me, here on earth as it is in heaven!
Lord thank you for who You are! As I reflect upon the many major trials You have seen me through, I too come to an understanding like that of David, that You have always been at my right hand. Someone who is ever present in my life, someone who I can always count on to be gracious and compassionate no matter how bad or difficult a situation may be. Thank you Lord for your grace and compassion, may I be an extension of You to others that they might a deeper relationship with You and be saved.
Love you Lord! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!
