Compassion Like Jesus | AS BOLD AS LIONS DEVOTIONAL | May 19, 2023

Compassion Like Jesus | AS BOLD AS LIONS DEVOTIONAL | May 19, 2023

I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way. Matthew 15:32

There are times within the Gospels that the character and nature of Christ so profoundly comes through, it’s worth stopping and considering afresh. There are a couple accounts of Jesus feeding a multitude with a few loaves and fish. In Matthew 15, Jesus’ compassion and heart for the crowd with him do not go unnoticed. Jesus knows these people have been with him for a few days. He knows they are hungry and He knows this is an unmet need He is capable of meeting. Amazingly, He asks His disciples to help meet this need (How many loaves do you have?” vs. 34). He takes the amount they bring to Him and multiplies it many times over so that the four thousand can all eat and be full.

When you read a passage like this, what strikes you about Jesus? For me, I see His care and concern for others first and foremost. At the same time, I realize my own lack in this area. If Jesus was physically with us today, I wonder how many people He would point out to us that have a genuine unmet need? A need that we, through Him, are capable of meeting? The fact is, Jesus is with us and His Spirit is showing us the needs around us if we are willing to have open eyes and ears. Just like the disciples, we bring to Him the resources we have and He multiples it, meeting the need and displaying His glory. The same compassion He has is available to us if we ask for it.

Question for today: What are the apparent unmet needs I see in the world around me?

Pray: Lord give me a heart of compassion like Yours!

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