The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:8 – 9 NIV 

What attributes of God come first to your mind? God’s compassionate nature is one of my top choices.  

What is compassion? 

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines compassion as “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” Compassion has been part of the language since the 14th century, and comes ultimately from Latin com- and pati, meaning “to bear, suffer.

Compassion goes beyond sympathy for another’s plight and the empathy of feeling what another is feeling. Compassion gets involved. When someone suffers, compassion suffers with the person and seeks to relieve that suffering through acts of mercy. The Bible shows us what compassion looks like.  

God’s compassion.  

God’s compassion is listed as one of His attributes in many places in Scripture. In addition to Psalm 145:8 – 9 above, consider the following verses. 

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love….he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. Psalm 103:8,10 NIV 

But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up His wrath; for He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again.  Psalm 78:38 – 39 NKJV 

Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin….” Exodus 34:5 – 7a NIV 

The Lord acted on His compassion.  

The Lord heard the cries of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt and delivered them. He provided food and water throughout their forty-year journey, and their clothes did not wear out. He guided them and gave them the Law and instructions to follow Him. The Lord brought them to the Promised Land, as we are told in the book of Exodus.  

Later, the Israelites’ sin led them back into captivity. God brought the Hebrews back to Palestine as He promised He would do (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 29; 2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 39; 52; Ezra 1; Nehemiah 2).  

God is compassionate with individuals as well. The prophet Elijah saw God’s power when the Lord was victorious over the prophets of Baal. When Queen Jezebel threatened his life after this victory, he fled in fear. The Lord spoke to Elijah and reassured him that he was not the only one left who followed God, but that the Lord had 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed to Baal (I Kings 18:17 – 19:18). 

Jesus, God’s only Son, entered the suffering of humanity. Jesus’ compassion moved Him to heal the sick, raise the dead, and show people His love for us. Jesus’ ultimate act of love was on the cross. He made it possible for us to live with God for all eternity, forgiven of our sins that separate us from God. Our risen Savior is our merciful advocate (I John 2:1). 

Jesus knew that doubts and fear would plague the disciples, just as it does us. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, was sent by the Father to teach us and to help us remember what Jesus said. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and testifies of Christ Jesus (John 14:26; 15:26). 

How has God shown you compassion? Write down some of the ways you have experienced God’s mercy in your life. Thank Him for His loving compassion. 

Sometimes God shows His compassion directly to us, such as His salvation and forgiveness. Other times He may use others to be His hands and feet for us.  

One great act of compassion that I experienced was after my mother died. My husband and I thought our three-year-old son was too young to attend her funeral. Our friends, the Barefoot family, were God’s messengers of mercy. They volunteered to watch him at their home for a few days while we were over 100 miles away. Our friends’ compassion was even greater than we realized, for we returned to a clean house. We’d left in a hurry, but now dishes were clean, beds were made, and toys were put away. It was such a blessing! 

We can, and should, embody the compassion of God by being compassionate to others.  

This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’  Zechariah 7:9-10 NIV 

How can we meet other’s needs and stand up for those who are suffering?  

God will help us to show mercy. I will give a few examples here. Please add to the list in the comments.  

• Provide meals for the homeless or for people who are sick, recovering from surgery, or who have a baby 
• Bring out, and in, the trash cans for the neighbor with physical ailments 
• Care for a shut-in or child(ren) so the caregiver can have a break 
• Visit the lonely 

 
I’m so glad our God is compassionate! Let’s thank Him for this attribute of His character. 

Dear Lord, I thank you for Your love and compassion. Thank you for entering our lives and moving on our behalf. Please help me to show Your compassion and mercy to others. In Jesus’ loving name, Amen. 

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Top photo by Faith Giant on Pexels.com

“Compassion.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compassion#:~:text=%3A%20sympathetic%20consciousness%20of%20others’%20distress,a%20desire%20to%20alleviate%20it 

“Understanding the Meaning of Compassion.” Compassion International. 2023. https://www.compassion.com/child-development/meaning-of-compassion/#:~:text=To%20have%20compassion%20means%20to,it’s%20a%20very%20biblical%20understanding. 

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan  

Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV): Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.