Touched with Compassion, Joined in Suffering
His hands are never far—He feels what you feel.
📚 Devotional Credit:
Days of Heaven upon Earth by A.B. Simpson
📸 Photo Credit:
Image courtesy of Unsplash
When Jesus looked at the crowds, He wasn’t merely observing humanity from a distance—He felt their distress in the deepest part of His being. Scripture says He was moved with compassion because they were like sheep without a shepherd, tossed and torn by life. A.B. Simpson draws our eyes to this astonishing truth: Jesus doesn’t just know our pain—He shares in it.
This is not poetic sympathy. This is the High Priest who carries our burdens in His own heart, who groans with us under the weight of sorrow. The Son who now reigns in heaven has not distanced Himself from our distress. Rather, He remains touched by every ache we carry. And this nearness—this loving participation in our suffering—is not just comforting sentiment; it is the very foundation of His ongoing priesthood. His heart is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Just as a mother’s body tenses with her infant’s cry, or a true friend inwardly flinches when you wince, Jesus suffers with us still—not because He has to, but because love always enters in. When we cast our pain upon Him, we’re not throwing it into the void—we’re placing it into the arms of One who already feels it.
📓 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture:
I have not distanced Myself from your wounds. I am not a spectator to your suffering. I am joined to you—and I carry what you carry. My compassion is not a fleeting emotion but a continual flow from My heart to yours. In all your afflictions, I am afflicted.
You never cry alone. When sorrow strikes your chest like a hammer, it echoes in Mine. I do not merely notice your pain—I feel it. And more than that, I redeem it. I transform what burdens you into holy ground for communion with Me.
Come boldly, not because you are strong, but because you are Mine. Come not to beg but to rest, for I am both Priest and Companion. I am the mercy seat where your tears land, and the throne of grace from which comfort flows. Nothing you endure escapes My care. I am with you—not in theory, but in truth. Always.
Scriptures: Matthew 9:36; Hebrews 4:15–16; Isaiah 63:9; 2 Corinthians 1:5; Romans 8:26
🔍 Real-Life Analogy:
It’s like sleeping beside a loved one who stirs restlessly through the night. Even without words, their movement wakes you. You feel their tension before they speak it. In the same way, Christ feels every restless toss of our soul—because He lies with us in the bed of suffering, never sleeping, always present.
🙏 Prayer of Confidence:
Jesus, thank You that I never suffer alone. You are not aloof or distant. You are touched, moved, and joined with me in every trial. I don’t need to fight for Your attention—it is already fixed on me. Thank You for carrying my sorrow not as a burden, but as a bond of love. I rest in the truth that You, my Great High Priest, draw near with mercy, not condemnation. Today I walk not as one abandoned, but as one accompanied—moment by moment, heart to heart.