I almost hate to start this study or even say anything about sympathy towards others. I have been at the brutal end of some peoples so called sympathy and I hate to even talk about it but I feel impressed to do a study on it right in the middle of my other studies. I have a feeling God knows who needs this study and I am sure that I do to a certain extent. I am nearly 86 years old and am very handicapped in several ways, I'm not able to walk far, my back has been broken over and over in the vertebrae and my hip is degenerating and I have an aorta valve that is closing up on me and last time I was checked it is in critical condition. I for sure am not asking for sympathy because ordinarily I am a happy person even in this condition but I feel that someone out there needs to realize what real sympathy is and what it is all about because I have been at the brutal end of no sympathy twice that really bothered me.
Psalm 78:39 "For He remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passes away, and comes not again."
Psalm 103:13 "Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him."
Isaiah 63:9 "In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them, and carried them all the days of old."
John 11:35,36 "Jesus wept. Then said the Jews Behold how He loved him!"
Hebrews 4:15 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
The Marks of True Human Sympathy
Benevolence
Isaiah 58:7 "Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou sees the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?"
Helpfulness
Acts 20:35 "I have shown you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give then to receive."
Burden Bearing
Romans 15:1 "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."
Galatians6:2 "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Feelings for the Unfortunate
Hebrews 13:3 "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."
Visitation of the Needy
James 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this. To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
It seems from my experience that there is a terrible lack of sympathy, even in the church. We need to exemplify Christ in His sympathy and give our hard hearts to Jesus to cleanse us from this evil. Are you hard-hearted? Do you need you heart cleansed from this evil. It is so very prevalent today in our society and even in the churches. Please think about it and search your hearts as I am searching mine to see if there be a heart of unbelief and lacking sympathy for others. There are so many that need out love and care and when we treat them in an unreasonable manner, in a heartless way, we are allowing the great deceiver to have His way in our lives. I think we all can benefit from this.
Grandma Joan
I would love to share a couple of experiences with you but I have friends that read my blog and I don't want to hurt anyone, just want to help all of us to be more kind and compassionate.
No comments:
Post a Comment