God’s character forms in the shape of compassion.
Psalm 103 New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
I call Psalm 103, the compassion Psalm. God’s primary descriptor in the Bible is the God of Compassion. Check out this study on the word, compassion, in the Bible, https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?qs_version=NIV&quicksearch=compassion&startnumber=76.
Compassion forms in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in a gray matter structure called the anterior cingulate.
When anxiety reacts and escalates whether by fear or by drug of choice, blood flow diminishes to the PFC and the anterior cingulate begins to disable.
Compassion for others and self goes offline. We cannot feel or show compassion because that part of the brain does not function.
I love this piece in the Psalms. David finds joy in his spirituality, the removal of guilt, shame, and the renewal of the image of God within. These truths reduce anxiety and restore blood flow to the anterior cingulate bringing compassion back online.
Did you see it? God is the perfect father. He cannot abuse nor harm the child He loves. The Father shows compassion to the child who connects with him, the Scripture calls this connection reverence. Again, anxiety mitigates, decreases, and blood flow restores. The spirituality region of the brain lights up with reason, self awareness, gratitude, and compassion. The fatherhood of God puts compassion back on the radar of my thinking and doing.
God’s character forms in the shape of compassion. You have permission to show others and yourself compassion. Is this not the deeper way?
Hope Experience 