Names of God: The Father of Compassion
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Genesis 37:18-36; 50:15-17
Memory Verse
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (NIV)
Do you find it hard to show kindness to people who are mean to you? If so, you are not alone. In today's longer Bible reading, we read the story of a young man named Joseph. Joseph's brothers were not kind to him. In fact, they were so jealous of him that they decided to kill him. One brother tried to show him mercy and convince the others not to kill him but to throw him in a pit. Instead, these cruel brothers sold Joseph to some traders coming down the road!
Joseph faced many challenges throughout his life. He was sold into slavery, wrongly accused, thrown in jail, and forgotten for a long time. Fortunately, God showed compassion and was with Joseph through all his challenges, and Joseph went from being a prisoner in jail to becoming second in command of all of Egypt.
God extended his mercy, and Egypt prospered with Joseph in charge. That’s when Joseph’s brothers come back into the story. They come face to face with Joseph, who they thought was dead. They feared that Joseph would want his revenge on them. However, because Joseph received God's mercy, he extended that mercy to his brothers.
Could you have done what Joseph did? Are you able to show kindness to others even if you think they don't deserve it? That is what God wants all of his children to do. God wants for us to give the compassion to others that we freely receive from him (Luke 6:36).
Prayer
Dear Father of compassion, please give me the heart of mercy and to be kind. Teach me how to show mercy to others, the same way you did to us. In your name, Amen.Related Resources
Natasha Menifee
Natasha Menifee is an educator, writer and most importantly a child of God. She has taught in public schools for 12 years and holds two master's degrees from Georgetown College in Learning & Behavior Disorders and Teacher Leadership. Natasha also serves as the Christian Education Director at her church. She is the proud mother of two daughters. For more information about her, visit www.natashamenifee.com.