Days of Heaven: Hebrews 4:15
Compassion isn’t hindered by weakness; it overflows from union with Christ.
In today’s reading, A.B. Simpson draws our attention to the compassionate heart of our High Priest—Jesus Christ—who fully understands our humanity. He recalls a moment with a suffering sister in Christ who, in the midst of her own pain, turned outward in loving concern for a needy child. Her selfless prayer, filled with tender mercy and deep compassion, became a picture of Christ’s very nature alive within her.
Simpson invites us to see how this kind of love is not merely admirable, but a reflection of the One who is acquainted with our grief and was tempted in every way as we are, yet remained without sin. Our Great High Priest is not distant or indifferent. He does not coldly manage our requests from a lofty throne. Rather, He feels with us. He feels in us. And as He lives through us, He stirs within us a love that surpasses even our own needs.
This is not a story about healing postponed—it is about a deeper healing that flows from union with the Healer Himself. The woman’s focus on the orphan revealed a life centered in Christ, where self fades and compassion reigns. Simpson’s reflection becomes an invitation to us: in Christ, we are not only recipients of mercy—we are vessels of it.
Journal Entry — In the Voice of the Holy Spirit
You are in Me, and I am in you. The heart you saw in her prayer is the heart I share with you now. I have not forgotten your needs—I hold them with tenderness—but I lead you into a love that flows outward, even in weakness. When your eyes are fixed on Me, your pain does not rule you. Instead, your spirit is drawn into My compassion for others. That is how My joy becomes your strength, and My peace guards your heart.
You are not alone in your afflictions. I was tempted in every way that touches your life. I know the weight of sorrow, the ache of longing, the sting of rejection. Yet I did not fall, and now I lift you with the same grace that kept Me. I am not watching from afar—I am your advocate, your intercessor, your indwelling life. Let My mind be in you.
When you embrace the burdens of others, you reveal My nature. When you pray with tears for those who cannot pray for themselves, you echo My voice. This is how heaven touches earth—when love overflows through a yielded vessel. Do not be surprised when your greatest moments of ministry arise from your own moments of need. My grace works most freely through surrendered hearts.
You are seated with Me in heavenly places, and yet you walk through earthly sorrow with a light that cannot be dimmed. Your selfless prayers are not unnoticed. They are heard, gathered, and answered in My time and in My way. Keep abiding. Keep loving. I am living through you.
Verses woven: Hebrews 4:15, John 14:20, Nehemiah 8:10, Philippians 2:5, Romans 8:26, Ephesians 2:6, Galatians 2:20
Prayer
Father, I praise You for placing within me the heart of Your Son. I rejoice that I don’t need to chase after compassion—I simply yield to the One who is compassion within me. Thank You that my weakness is not a barrier to love, but an invitation to draw from Your limitless grace. I trust You to stir in me the same selfless concern that poured from the woman Simpson described. And as You do, I rest—knowing that You sympathize, You intercede, and You are at work in ways seen and unseen.
Devotional Credit:
Adapted from Days of Heaven on Earth by A.B. Simpson
Photo Credit: Unsplash