Choosing Compassion

Hi there and welcome to today's edition of Our Daily Bread.

Our reading is titled Choosing Compassion and it was written by Karen Pimpo. A five-minute montage of snow-related mishaps was the central piece to one episode of a TV show. Home videos of people skiing off rooftops, crashing into objects while tubing, and slipping on ice brought laughter and applause from the studio audience and people watching at home. The laughter seemed to be loudest when it appeared that the people who wiped out deserved it because of their own foolish behavior.

Funny home videos aren't a bad thing, but they can reveal something about ourselves. We can be prone to laugh at or take advantage of the hardships of others. One such story is recorded in Obadiah about two rival nations, Israel and Edom. When God saw fit to punish Israel for their sin, Edom rejoiced.

They took advantage of the Israelites, looted their cities, thwarted their escape, and supported their enemies. A word of warning came through the prophet Obadiah to Edom. You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, for the day of the Lord is near for all nations. When we see the challenges or suffering of others, even if it seems they've brought it upon themselves, we must choose compassion over pride.

We're not in a position to judge others. Only God can do that. The kingdom of this world belongs to Him.

He alone holds the power of justice and mercy. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Obadiah chapter 1 verses 8 through 15. In that day, declares the Lord, will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding, in the mountains of Esau? Your warriors will be terrified, and everyone in Esau's mountains will be cut down in the slaughter. Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame.

You will be destroyed forever. On the day you stood aloof, while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. You should not march through the gates of My people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.

You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble. The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you.

Your deeds will return upon your own head. Let's pray. Merciful God, forgive us for our tendency to feel like we're better than others, and forgive us when we stand in judgment over them. Develop in us hearts of pure love and compassion and help us to reach out to help them, even when it seems to us that they are deserving of what they are experiencing. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Toni Collyer, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.