Ps.145:8 – The LORD is gracious and compassionate;
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
David had tasted the compassion and the mercy of God in his own life. He wasn’t just preaching a doctrine he believed, he had seen the mercy and compassion of the Lord for himself. He wrote the famous words, Ps.32:1 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered”. David had fallen into sin and had been restored by the compassion and mercy of the Lord. Today we can see the mercy and compassion of the Lord as we look in the scripture to the life and ministry of Jesus. He forgave the woman caught in the act of adultery, healed a paralyzed man who was bound by the guilt of his past, He even forgave the miserable thief on the cross. We see the grace and love of God on display in Jesus. Here is how Spurgeon describes it.
“To the suffering, the weak, the despondent, he is very pitiful: he feels for them, he feels with them: he this heartily, and in a practical manner. Of this pitifulness he is full, so the compassionates freely, constantly, deeply, divinely, and effectually. In fulness in a sense not known among men, and this fulness is all fragrant sympathy for human misery. If the Lord be full of compassion there is no in him for forgetfulness or harshness, and none should suspect him What an ocean of compassion there must be since the Infinite God is full of Slow to anger…..And of great mercy. This is his attitude towards the guilty. When men at last repent, find pardon awaiting them. Great is their sin, and great is God’s mercy, need great help, and they have it though they deserve it not; for he is good to the greatly guilty.”
Like David, we can drink of the compassion of the Lord when we drink of His Spirit. Just as we see the love of God in Jesus, we can taste it as the Holy Spirit is poured out in our hearts. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the outpouring of God’s love on fallen man. He loves us, He loves to heal and restore us. So have another look at Jesus in the gospels. See Him moved with compassion as He healed all who came to Him. Drink deeply of His mercy and compassion as you saturate in His presence. He is gracious and compassionate slow to anger and great in mercy.
