Keep Cultivating Tender Affection - JEHOVAH - "VERY TENDER IN AFFECTI0N"

 

The Bible reveals Jehovah's beautiful qualities.  For example, it says that "God is love."  (1 John 4:8) That description alone draws us to him.  But the Bible also says that Jeh0vah "is very tender  in affection." (Read James 5:11) What a warm way of expressing the depth of feeling that Jehovah has for us!

Note that (James  5:11) links Jehovah's tender affection to another quality that draws us to him-his mercy.  (Exodus 34:6)  One way in which Jehovah show us mercy is by forgiving us for the mistakes we make.  (Psalm 51:1)  In the Bible, mercy involves much more than forgiveness.  Mercy is an immense feeling that springs from inside a person when he or she sees someon in distress and is moved to try to help hte person.  Jehovah describes the intense desire he has to help us  greater than the feelings that a mother has for her child.  (Psalm 37:39; 1 Corinthians 10:13)  We can show mercy to our brothers and sisters by forgiving them and not holding  a grudge when they disappoint us.  (Ephesians 4:32)  But a primary way we can show mercy is by supporting our brothers and sisters  through the hardshipss they face.  When love moves  us to be merciful toward others, we imitate Jehovah, the supreme example of tender affection.  EPHESIANS 5:1.

Next time: Keep Cultivating Tender Affection - JONATHAN AND DAVID-"BOUND TOGETHER IN CLOSE FRIENDSHIP"

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