As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. —Psalm 103:13.
Not pity, not anger, not shame, not impatience, not intolerance, and not rejection—none of this is what God, our Father, longs to share with us. We know this because today’s verse declares it. We know it even more by the way Jesus treated children in his busy and overly scrutinized ministry:
- He welcomed them and placed his hands on them to bless them (Matthew 19:13-15).
- He took the children into His arms, placed His hands upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:13-16).
- He welcomed little children, and held them up as examples for us to follow (Luke 18:15-17)
God cares for our pain, loneliness, emptiness, abandonment, and mistreatment. God cares for us when we are overlooked, neglected, minimized, and pushed aside. God loves us and longs to share his compassion with us. He chose to enter our world and demonstrate his love for us in Jesus.