Connect with your kids while thinking about how God is compassionate and gracious to us.

That word compassionate also means merciful, which means that you don’t give someone the punishment that they deserve when they do something wrong.

God has mercy and compassion on us but not giving us the punishment we deserve for our sins. Sin is anything we do or think that is opposite to God and God’s word. We all sin, and we all need God’s mercy and compassion.

The word gracious means to bend low to someone that is smaller than you, to show kindness or favor. God is so BIG, but He bends low to us and is so kind to us.

 
Verses:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.

Psalm 103:8 (CSB)

Ask Your Kids:

• When have you experienced compassion or mercy?
• How can you show mercy to others?

Engage Your Kids:

• Act out compassion and mercy:
  • Swipe a toy from your kids and then ask them what punishment you deserve. (They will love this!)
  • Then explain that compassion and mercy mean that you don’t get the punishment that you deserve. 
  • Take turns practicing showing mercy with your kids.

Go Deeper 

• Join  “Finding Jesus in the Psalms: A Family Experience” for weekly handouts and other free resources connected with this episode.
• Read about the words compassionate and gracious on BlueLetterBible.org.