Jesus experienced the same compassion that causes a
mother or a father to overcome the fear of personal harm
for the sake of their child. A father will take on all the
forces of hell and wade into odds far greater than himself
when his family is threatened. His mercy and compassion
is far greater than any danger he sees with his eyes and
hears with his ears.

I will never forget one time when my daughter Kellie
came and sat down on my lap. She was only 3 years old. I
was looking at something else when she placed her two
index fingers, one on each of my cheeks, and turned my
face toward hers, which was right up in mine. As she pulled
me closer she said, “Mommy, I love you.” At that moment in
time, if I owned the moon, I would have given it to her!

God will respond to His children when they express
their love for Him, just as naturally as a parent will respond
to his child who says, “I love you.” The Word says that we
get the similarity of our parenthood from God. Our role
as parents is a model of the relationship we have with our
heavenly Father.

We are never going to get anywhere shaking our fists
in God’s face. But when we get before Him and say, “I love
You, You are the King of my life, and I will go anywhere
You tell me to go, and do anything You tell me to do,” God
will respond to us compassionately.

When we take our place as His children, He will always
take His place as our Father. God Almighty is the biggest
love pushover in the whole world. He is fully aware of our
every sin. He sent Jesus to the cross rather than condemn
us, and He hasn’t changed. He is still looking for
opportunities to show His mercy.

In 2 Chronicles 5, He directed the children of Israel to put
singers out in front of the army. They sang, “God is good.
His mercy endureth forever.” They were really
saying to the enemy, “God loves us anyhow
and you had better keep your hands off us!” In response,
God moved on the enemy army before the Israelites got to
them because they declared His mercy.

Notice also, that when the children of Israel began
to shout about God’s mercy, the place where they were
gathered filled up with the glory of God. The presence of
God was so powerful that the priests could not stand on
their feet to minister. Verses 13-14 say:

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers
were as one, to make one sound to be heard
in praising and thanking the Lord; and when
they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and
cymbals and instruments of music, and praised
the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy
endureth for ever: that then the house was filled
with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that
the priests could not stand to minister by reason
of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the
house of God.

Gloria Copeland

Proverbs 4:1
KJV—Hear, ye children, the instruction of
a father, and attend to know understanding.

NKJV—Hear, my children, the instruction
of a father, and give attention to know
understanding.

NIV—Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.

Proverbs 6:20-22
KJV—My son, keep thy father’s commandment,
and forsake not the law of thy
mother: Bind them continually upon thine
heart, and tie them about thy neck. When
thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou
sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when
thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

NIV—My son, keep your father’s commands
and do not forsake your mother’s
teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever;
fasten them around your neck. When
you walk, they will guide you; when you
sleep, they will watch over you; when you
awake, they will speak to you.

Amp—My son, keep your father’s [Godgiven]
commandment, and forsake not
the law of [God] your mother [taught you].
Bind them continually upon your heart,
and tie them about your neck. When you
go, [the Word of your parents’ God] it
shall lead you; when you sleep, it shall
keep you, and when you waken, it shall
talk with you.

Proverbs 13:1
KJV—A wise son heareth his father’s
instruction.

NKJV—A wise son heeds his father’s
instruction.

Proverbs 15:5
KJV—A fool despiseth his father’s instruction:
but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

NKJV—A fool despises his father’s instruction,
but he who receives correction is prudent.

NIV—A fool spurns his father’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction shows
prudence.

Proverbs 20:11
KJV—Even a child is known by his doings,
whether his work be pure, and
whether it be right.

NIV—Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is pure and right.

Amp—Even a child is known by his acts,
whether or not what he does is pure and right.

Proverbs 23:22
KJV—Hearken unto thy father that begat
thee, and despise not thy mother when
she is old.

NKJV—Listen to your father who begot
you, and do not despise your mother
when she is old.

NIV—Listen to your father, who gave you
life, and do not despise your mother when
she is old.

Gloria Copeland