As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

                                                                      (Psalm 103:13-14)

It is a frustration as ancient as the earth; we long to live as gods and angels yet find ourselves sometimes acting more like animals. The longings of the flesh, the desires of this body, the ambitions of ego, draw us into actions that we often regret and sometimes abhor. Even the Apostle Paul expresses the consternation of “… the good that I would do, I do not; but the evil that I would not, that I do.” (Romans 7:19)

How comforting it is to know that the God who has called us to holiness and righteousness does not look at us with disgust when we fail to emulate his nature. He understands the nature of our nature and chooses rather to have compassion on us. Compassion even to the point of giving his son, Jesus the Christ, as the atoning payment for our sins.

Knowing how we are formed, he chooses to be patient and forgiving. Remembering that we are dust, he does not treat us as our sins deserve.

Being human is never an excuse for us to choose evil. But it is always a reason for us to remember that we serve a compassionate God.

H. Arnett

10/12/20