Mercy and Justice

And he prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.

— Jonah 4:2 (ESV)

Devotion:

Jonah wasn’t afraid of failure—he was afraid of success. He knew God’s character too well: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and full of steadfast love. He feared that if he preached repentance, the people of Nineveh might actually repent—and that God would relent.

This moment reveals a deep tension we still wrestle with: we want justice for others and mercy for ourselves. Jonah’s displeasure shows a distorted fear—a fear rooted in pride and nationalism, not reverence. But the true fear of the Lord causes us to rejoice in His mercy and to surrender our ideas of who “deserves” grace.

To fear the Lord is to honor His mercy as much as His justice. It’s to recognize that His ways are higher, His judgments are perfect, and His heart is to redeem—even those we might consider unworthy.

God didn’t change. Jonah’s heart needed to.

Reflection Questions:

• Do I rejoice when God shows mercy to others, even those I disagree with?

• Have I resisted obeying God because I didn’t agree with what He might do?

• Am I surrendered to both His mercy and His discipline?

Prayer Focus:

• Pray that the church would walk in true fear of the Lord—revering both His justice and His compassion.

• Ask God to cleanse our hearts from self-righteousness and pride.

• Intercede for people or groups you struggle to forgive, asking God to break your heart for them.

• Pray for obedience that’s rooted in love, not performance or preference.