By Jon Walker
He said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” Exodus 33:19 (HCSB)
Perhaps you’ve heard the U2 song, “Yahweh,” where Bono sings about the power of God to clean up the messes we’ve made in our lives: “Take these shoes and make them fit … Take this shirt and make it clean … Take this soul and make it sing.”
Bono is singing a prayer to God; Yahweh is the name God used to identity himself to Moses and the Israeli people, when he told Moses “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you ….” (Exodus 33:19, HCSB)
Yahweh means ‘he causes to be,’ and it is God’s personal name, just like we express our individuality through a first or last names (or, in the case of Bono and Elvis, just the one name).
‘He causes to be’ is a declaration by God that he is the Creator of the universe. He created the planets and the stars; he created all that is in this world; he created you and me.
Yahweh, the Creator, has the power to make things happen; the power to make good on every promise he’s made. Not to be flippant, but God’s got the juice to make things happen and the ability to show you compassion by getting right into the mess with you, working to relieve you from your distress.
God also has the right to show you compassion. He is the final word in the Universe — the Supreme-being Supreme Court. He says, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19, HCSB)
Now, this doesn’t mean God plays favorites, like, ‘I’ll give compassion to the ones I like, and leave the others in their misery.’ It means he has the right to decide; his is the final word on the matter.
More to the point, it means we don’t get to decide who gets God’s compassion and who doesn’t. The compassion flows from God’s nature and not from our efforts. Eugene Peterson paraphrases two Bible verses on compassion like this: “God told Moses, ‘I’m in charge of mercy. I’m in charge of compassion.’ Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy.” (Romans 9:15-16, MSG)
Communicating Compassion –
- Yahweh knows you and your situation – God knows you by name, and he wants you to know his name. In other words, he wants to have an intimate relationship with you. He’s not some ‘god in the distance;’ he is Yahweh right beside you.
- If you believed God cared for you deeply and forever, how would your behavior change? Ask God to reveal the places in your life where you’re the ‘person in the distance’ from God.
- Yahweh is willing and able – God is willing to show you compassion. And, he’s also able to give you compassion. He is the power of the universe.
- Where do you need God’s compassion in your life? Knowing that God is willing to give you compassion and that he is able to give you compassion, what do you think keeps you from receiving it from Yahweh? Ask God to help you in your unbelief. He is even compassionate about that.
- Compassion for your Community – As you receive God’s compassion into your life, ask God to break your heart with compassion for your friends and neighbors. Ask God to help you give compassion to those around you.
If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.