Middot U'Mitzvot: Character Qualities and Commandments
Forgiveness - Showing Compassion


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Forgiveness - Showing Compassion

“I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment.” Jonah 4:2

It sure is good to know that God is merciful and will show us compassion in His judgment, isn’t it? To show compassion means to show kindness, often when it is undeserved. When you show compassion to someone you are showing them that you have a deep understanding for who they are, where they’ve been, and what they’ve done. Compassion can be forgiving someone or it could mean supporting them when no one else will. Many times to show compassion means that you have to swallow some of your own pride and reach out to someone who needs a helping hand. Sometimes you have to forgive and forget. God wants to show everyone compassion. He wants so much to be merciful and forgiving that He will wait until the last second and give people as many chances as possible to turn back to Him before He judges their wrongdoings. Do you think you could show that kind of compassion to someone in your life – even if they’ve treated you badly? How do you think you might you do that?

Wearing Fine Linen - Good Deeds

“For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his Bride has prepared herself – fine linen, bright and clean has been given her to wear.” Revelation 19:7-8

When Messiah returns to set up His Kingdom here on the earth, He will be returning with His Bride. Did you know that if you have placed your trust in Yeshua – that if you are one of His talmidim – you are a part of His Bride? In the above verse from Revelation we read about the wedding of the Lamb – the wedding of Messiah – and that the Bride has prepared herself for Him. But, what is this fine linen that has been given to the Bride to wear? Well, if we read on in Revelation, God tells us. He tells us that the fine linen is “the righteous acts of the saints.” Righteous acts are good deeds. They are those things that we do out of love for God and for our neighbor. Whenever you give of your time or your money to help someone in need, you are doing a good deed. Whenever you do something that lines up with God’s Word, you are living a life of Torah and good deeds. And, whenever you do these things you are preparing yourself to be a part of the Bride. So, how have you, or how could you, prepare to be Messiah’s Bride?

Living Water - Alive in God

“Whoever puts their trust in Me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his innermost being.” John 7:38

Everything in creation needs water to live. A person can go for a long time without food, but without water that person will die within a few days. If regular water – the kind that we find here on the earth in our rivers and our lakes and our kitchen faucets – if this regular water is so important imagine how powerful living water would be. When you place your trust in Yeshua – when you commit your life to Him – He will fill you up from the inside with living water. Instead of drinking water from a glass, it will spring forth from inside you. Messiah’s life and love and joy will come alive inside of you – inside your heart. And, it will work its way out for others to see – you will be able to bring the hope and the comfort and the life of Messiah into the lives of others. So, instead of looking to the outside world for the things that you need, look to Messiah Yeshua and discover in His living water that you have everything you need in Him on the inside.

Kehilat Sar Shalom

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