The Fountain of Compassion

In Psalm 84:6, we read:

“As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring [or a fountain].”

After nearly sixty years as a Christian—walking in the way of the Lord, speaking in tongues—I experienced a transformation. Something entirely new happened within me—a spring was opened inside me that was a fountain of compassion. I had known the love of God for a long time, and I had always loved my family, but this spring was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

This spring had another source apart from Derek Prince. I began to understand what the Bible means when it says that Jesus was “moved with compassion.” (see, for example, Matthew 9:36; Mark 1:41). I realized God was sharing His compassion with me, and I prayed, “Lord, let this fountain never become defiled or contaminated, and let it never become stopped up.” God alone determined when it would spring up. And when the fountain of compassion is flowing within me, it attracts people to me. They do not know why they are drawn to me, but they sense something for which they have been longing. I believe that God is waiting for us to love one another with His divine love.

God has done something else in me, too. He has given me a supernatural concern for orphans, widows, the poor, and the oppressed. We can talk about faith and righteousness, but if we do nothing for the people who really need us, these words are empty and meaningless. There is no shortage of people who need us. They are all around us—people who need to be loved are everywhere. They are lonely; no one cares for them; they lack answers and are desperate. You don’t have to go far from home to find people like that. Compassion is the purpose of God. It is what He’s waiting to see manifest in us.