Devotions: The Compassion Of Restoration

When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

Deuteronomy 4:30-31 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

In this chapter, God was predicting Israel’s waywardness. At this time they had just come from Egypt, wowed by His power and fed up with slavery. But a time would come, repeatedly, when they would turn away from God, when they would grumble against Him and chase other gods. As a result of this waywardness, God promised that they would fall into slavery and hardship, to punish their infidelity. But He also promised that He would have compassion on them and restore them to a right relationship with Him. He will keep up His end of the bargain no matter what. Why? Because He is compassionate, because of His love for them. Compassion is an emotion, it is something we feel, but it is only genuine if it motivates action. Without action that feeling is merely pity. God acts with compassion, though we turn away and sin He will always welcome us back and restore us through repentance. Trust the faithfulness of God, repent and experience His compassion.