British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and United States President Franklin Roosevelt met in 1941 to issue a joint declaration that became known as the Atlantic Charter.

They anchored their warships off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

In a joint worship service, including the crews of the warships, British and American voices joined in hymns that spoke of the most sacred beliefs that the British and Americans shared.

These sacred beliefs anchored their historic proclamation:

[A]fter the final destruction of the Nazi tyranny, they hope to see established a peace which will afford to all nations the means of dwelling in safety within their boundaries, and which will afford assurance that all the [peoples] in all the lands may live out their lives in freedom from fear and want.

In addition to inspiring the British and the Americans, these sacred beliefs inspired many other peoples (who were neither British nor American) to destroy the Nazi tyranny so that all the peoples in all the lands may establish a peace with freedom from fear and want.

In the Bible, the Psalms are “hymns” that express sacred beliefs that guide all of us who love our one God—our one LORD—with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:36-38).

Who is our one and only God? Who is our one and only LORD?

The compassionate God. (Exodus 34:6).

Each one of us who loves the LORD our God eventually comes to realize that we need his compassion.

Why?

Sometimes we need the compassion of the LORD our God because we did evil deeds.

For example, in Psalm 51, King David realizes his need for the compassion of the LORD God after he raped Bathsheba and murdered her husband (2 Samuel 11:1 thru 2 Samuel 12:25).

David begged God to blot out his transgressions, according to his great compassion. (Psalm 51:1).

Like David, we each need to beg God to show us compassion by washing away all our iniquity and cleansing us from our sin. (Psalm 51:2).

Like David, we each need to beg God to show us his compassion by washing us so we will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7).

Like David, we each need to beg God to show us his compassion by creating in us a pure heart and a steadfast spirit. (Psalm 51:10).

In addition, we need the compassion of the LORD our God because our life is filled with trouble and sorrow.

For example, in Psalm 90, Moses begs the LORD to have compassion on his servants—on each of us who loves the LORD our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength.

Why do we need this compassion of the LORD our God?

Because, like Moses, we sometimes feel that the best of our years are but trouble and sorrow. (Psalm 90:10).

Furthermore, we all feel the years of our life quickly passing away. (Psalm 90:10).

We feel that we will finish our years with a moan, and we will fly away. (Psalm 90:9-10).

We realize that we are like the new grass of the morning:

In the morning it springs up new,

     but by evening it is dry and withered. (Psalm 90:5-6).

The compassion of the LORD our God is the only cure for our despair from realizing that we will dry up, wither, and turn back into dust.

Like Moses, we each need to overcome our despair by remembering the compassion of the LORD our God.

Why?

—His compassion teaches us to number our days,

        that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12).

—His compassion satisfies us in the morning with the unfailing love of the LORD our God. (Psalm 90:14).

—His compassion empowers us to sing for joy and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14).

—His compassion makes  us glad for as many years as we have seen trouble. (Psalm 90:15).

—His compassion means that the favor of the LORD our God rests on us. (Psalm 90:17).

—His compassion establishes the work of our hands for us. (Psalm 90:17).

No wonder that, when we remember the compassion of the LORD our God, we join David in proclaiming:

My tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Open my lips, Lord,

     and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:14-15).

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

What “warships” must people who love the LORD our God “anchor” off our “new found Promised Land”?

In what ways do we need the compassion of the LORD our God?

During his public ministry, in what ways was Jesus compassionate to other people?

In what ways should we be compassionate to other people?

What sacred beliefs guide us in compassionate ways that we share with other people who love the one LORD our God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength and with all their mind?

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For related thoughts, please read my blogs “Healing with Psalms: The Atlantic Charter” and “Healing with Psalms: Light Overcoming Darkness”.