09/16/2026
Midweek Devotion Based on Sunday's Sermon: Called to Compassion
“Jesus said, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’”
Matthew 14:16
In Matthew 14, the disciples saw a problem. The crowd was large, the hour was late, and the need was more than they could handle. Their solution seemed reasonable: send the people away. But Jesus responded with words that still challenge His church today: “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
How often do we do the same? We see the need, but we also see our limitations. We see the brokenness, the hurt, the emptiness, and we quietly think, What can I do? I don’t have enough. Yet Jesus does not call us first to measure our resources. He calls us first to have compassion. The disciples saw an interruption, but Jesus saw people. He saw hungry hearts and hungry bodies. He was moved with compassion, and then He invited His followers to be part of what only He could do.
That is still the call for us. Compassion begins when we stop asking how little we have and start bringing what we do have to Jesus. A praying heart, a kind word, a meal, an invitation, a helping hand, a burden shared — in His hands, even small offerings become more than enough. When the fire of God is burning on the altar of our hearts, it will always move us toward the harvest. Real revival does not leave us focused only inward. It sends us outward with the love of Christ.
So this week, ask the Lord to help you see people the way Jesus sees them. Ask Him to make your heart tender, your hands willing, and your faith ready. Someone around you may be carrying a burden quietly. Someone may need encouragement, prayer, help, or simply to know that they are seen. May we not send people away when Jesus is calling us to show compassion.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me eyes to see people with Your compassion. Forgive me for the times I have been too busy, too distracted, or too focused on my own limitations. Take what I have, small as it may seem, and use it for Your glory. Let the fire of Your presence in my heart move me toward others in love. In Jesus’ name, amen.