The True Basis for Social Concern
True compassion lifts others up, reflecting the heart of God’s restoring love.
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Ray Stedman draws our attention today to God's deep, redemptive concern for the poor and disenfranchised, as seen in Leviticus 25. Poverty is not treated as an inevitable scar on society but as an opportunity for redemption and restoration. God's instruction to Israel was clear: provisions must be made so that no one would be permanently trapped in poverty. Land had to be redeemable. Freedom had to be recoverable. Dignity had to be restorable.
Rather than merely placing temporary fixes on the visible symptoms of poverty, God strikes at the root — injustice, exploitation, and hopelessness — with a call to mercy, restitution, and responsibility.
Throughout history, movements grounded in Christian compassion, like the abolition of the slave trade and the founding of the Red Cross, echoed this same divine principle: the call to restore dignity where it had been stripped away.
The heart of God does not settle for mere surface-level charity. His heart aches to bring full restoration, weaving His justice and mercy into the everyday lives of His people. As recipients of His mercy, we too are called to embody this redemptive posture toward others, trusting that through small, faithful acts, His kingdom of restoration unfolds among us.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with cords of kindness. I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight. As you have freely received mercy, so freely give.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. I have shown you, O beloved, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Me. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. If you see your brother in need and close your heart against him, how does My love abide in you?
Let your love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. In everything, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. As you lift others up, you display My compassion, and the fragrance of Christ is made known in the world.
(Scripture references: Jeremiah 31:3; Jeremiah 9:24; Matthew 10:8; Matthew 5:7; Micah 6:8; Galatians 6:2; 1 John 3:17; Romans 12:9-13; Matthew 7:12; 2 Corinthians 2:14)
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine walking down a crowded city street and seeing a child trip and fall hard onto the sidewalk. Without hesitation, you would likely rush over, lift them up, dust them off, and make sure they were okay. You wouldn't scold the child for tripping, nor would you stand by and hope someone else intervenes. Compassion moves you to action without a second thought.
In the same way, God's call to redeem and restore the broken places of society isn't about analyzing why people fall — it's about embodying His compassion to lift them up, restore their dignity, and walk alongside them toward hope. The heart of God acts out of love, not cold analysis, and He invites us to live that way too.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You for Your heart of redemption that never wearies of restoring the broken. I rejoice that You are not a distant God, indifferent to the needs around me, but One who has drawn near to bind up the brokenhearted and proclaim freedom to captives. I trust You to express Your compassion through me today. Let me walk with open eyes and open hands, recognizing that every act of mercy is a reflection of Your redeeming love alive within me. I celebrate the privilege of being an agent of Your kindness wherever You lead me.