But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. -Matthew 9:36[Download PDF copy here and add to your study binder]
Lesson 11 | Be Like Jesus
I appreciate the LORD so much!! He is kind, full of mercy, and patient.
Have you ever wondered if you are on the right track with your life in God? Do you see the things going on around you in the places you frequent, people you know and wonder about the hurting people? Or the hardness of others? I have. I was recently reprimanded for being "too upset" over other people's bad and ungodly decisions. Mind you I don't loose sleep over this. I don't worry or fret. But I will take it to the LORD in prayer. Seriously.
In that conversation in which I was "reminded" not to take on the cares of others, I really had to sit back and just hear what they had to say. It seemed to me that that person had left off compassion because of probably many reasons, but the one spoken was..."God knows and you can't do anything anyway."
This is true -- in part. So, where do we look to find truth? God's written Word. And do you know that a couple of days after that conversation, I sat down to work on this lesson -- and it's about compassion. WOW! What I couldn't say in person during that conversation, I pray will be received in humility. I asked the LORD to open my own eyes. I ask the LORD to show me HIS WAY. I'm just sharing what I found.
In these last days, I've asked the LORD: but what am I supposed to do? He took me to Jude 20-23
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Do we really understand compassion? My eyes were opened to the real definition of this word when I looked it up in the 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary and then reading the verses in the Bible that use the word. Again, WOW.
COMPASSION, n.
A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration. Compassion is a mixed passion, compounded of love and sorrow; at least some portion of love generally attends the pain or regret, or is excited by it. Extreme distress of an enemy even changes enmity into at least temporary affection.
What happens to a body that has no water -- dehydration? It is far beyond just an extreme sensation of thirst. The body begins to fall apart. Every part of our body requires water. That's the way God made us. Most of the time we don't even realize that we are in need of water -- many times the case is severe before we give heed to our body's cry for water. (Is your body dehydrated?)
In the same way, people don't realize that they have a lack of The Living Water. Let's read John 4:10-15, 7:38
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. .... He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Dehydration is more than just thirst. A cup of water to a thirsty body is the same as compassion for the soul. When we are moved with compassion -- like Jesus, we see opportunity to be kind to others and then act on that compassion.
Read: Matthew 25:35-42 and Proverbs 25:25
Read also I Kings 18:3-4 What was the motivation of compassion in these verses? ___________
Dig Deeper:
Remember that God looks at the heart - so why do you turn your face away from those in need? why would you have an attitude of 'God will take care of them .. I don't need to'? If we can't physically give that refreshing cup of water, or there's no phone to call and speak the word of God to someone -- we can pray for them and on their behalf. Again, Jesus is our example.
EIGHTH: There flows from this fear of God hearty, fervent, and constant prayer. (Did you know that water is mentioned in the Scriptures 396 times?) RAIN WATER
Bunyan continues more straightforward and earnest:
This godly fear is so essential to right prayer, and right prayer is such an inseparable effect and fruit of this fear, that you must have both or none; he that prayeth not feareth him not; and so he that feareth him not cannot pray; for if prayer be the effect of this fear of God, then without this fear, prayer, fervent prayer ceaseth.
Praying is what Jesus did every morning. Scripture tells us that in the wee hours of the morning, (Mark 1:35) Jesus would get away from the people to spend time with his heavenly Father, God Almighty. It was a priority for Jesus. He went and sought out a place where he could talk to the LORD God uninterrupted; where he could get his daily instructions; where he could take his requests before the throne of God Almighty; where Jesus could hear his Father's voice without the distractions of the world or his disciples :) .
Praying is a conversation with the Almighty God: it can be casual in that we share our likes and dislikes, like that type of conversation we would have with a friend. However, most Christians stop there. It is to Almighty God that we speak. Whoa! We should take a step back and check how we are talking to him. We see as we grow in our walk with God through Jesus Christ (the only way to the Father!), that we also are growing in our understanding of the fear of God. In this, I'm sure that you've noticed that the 'way' and the 'what' you pray have changed.
You see, our life is not our own. We've been bought with a price. (I Corinthians 6:20) And since our life is not our own, we are moved with compassion to pray for others because that is what Jesus did while on this earth and continues to do so seated at the right hand of God. (Hebrew 7:25)
Rain water is a beautiful thing. The sound of a gentle rain is most soothing. A summer rain can bring in fresh air and a cool breeze. But sometimes rain water comes as a storm; it is loud, blown by strong winds, accompanied by thunder and lighting, and can cause flooding and even damage.
In comparison to prayer, the same is true. Ephesians 6 reminds us of the reality of who are enemy is, how we are to stand in God, and what we are to do. Because Jesus catching away his bride is imminent, we should be ever watchful and prayerful no matter the storm. When we pray, we should be hoping in the mercy of the LORD and talking to the LORD on behalf of others.
Yes, God knows how to get to those loved ones, to the persecuted brothers and sisters, and to the stranger down the street... yet he says that we ought to be "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;" Romans 12:12
Read: Isaiah 59:15-16, Acts 10:1-2, Hebrews 7:25, James 3:16, Isaiah 50:4, Psalm 143:8, Romans 12:12-18
Define:
- FERVENT
- CONSTANT
- EFFECTUAL
From the verses above, what are 3 key points that you can apply to your prayer time?
1.
2.
3.
How would you describe Jesus' prayer recorded in Luke 22:42?
Based on all the previous verses, what does 'moved with compassion' mean?
Dig Deeper:
How many times is prayer mentioned in the Bible? __________
Write out 3 verses on prayer and the practical application of them
1.
2.
3.
Download With Christ in the School of Prayer - good book divided into 30 day devotions about how and why to pray.
And here we are again, at the close of another great lesson. I hope you have been challenged and blessed. I hope you dig deeper, walk closer, and stay upon your God -- Jesus Christ the anchor of your soul.
~Cristina
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