As we enter into
the second day of this year’s 21-Day Daniel Fast, it is our prayer that
you experience and know our loving God more deeply this year than ever
before. One of the main ways we have come to know Him better and make Him known to others is through exercising
compassion. This little excerpt from an article we found on this
subject best sums it up:
Exercising
compassion is a key to knowing God. (Jeremiah 22:15-16 NLT)
"But a beautiful palace does not make a great king! Why did your
father, Josiah, reign so long? Because he was just and right in all his
dealings. That is why God blessed him. {16} He made sure that justice
and help were given to the poor and needy and everything went well for
him. Isn't that what it means to know me?" asks the LORD.
When
you exercise actions of compassion toward people in need something
wonderful happens. You begin to experience the love of God flow through
you toward the person that you are helping. We think of it as an
emotion called compassion, but it is not a human emotion, it is the
awesome presence of God's Holy Spirit. It is true love, God’s love. It
is a love that meets all of the definitions of love in the Bible. It
takes you into the deepest presence of God that a person can
experience. It is knowing God in an intimate way by experiencing His
love. This revelation of knowing God's love causes you to love Him in
the deepest part of your being. Expressing God's love to people is
expressing love to God; It is worshiping God in Spirit and Truth. (Matthew
18:5 NKJV) "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name
receives Me. (Matthew 25:37-40 NIV) "Then the righteous
will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you something to drink? {38} When did we see you a
stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? {39}
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' {40}
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Compassion
is not a human emotion. it is the awesome presence of God. It is
knowing God, it is experiencing God, it is experiencing Love. (1
John 4:7-8 NKJV) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God;
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. {8} He who
does not love does not know God, for God is love. When you walk in
compassion you walk in the Spirit, compassion bears all of the fruits
of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25 NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
{23} gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. {24} And
those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires. {25} If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Compassion is totally unselfish. You love the person you are
giving to and you don't care if they give anything back to you. Compassion
is its own reward, the presence of God.
We trust that you will begin exercising compassion in
increasing measure during this fast and continue throughout the
remainder of your life for the glory of God! (Isaiah 58)
Love, Jim and Tammy Stokes
(Grand Rapids, Michigan)
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