Devotional
A Faulty Sense Of Justice
"Didn't I say before I left home that You would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.
Jonah 4:2
Jonah 4:2
Those who know the story of Jonah will remember that he became angry because God decided to withhold his punishment on the city of Nineveh. The city was mired in evil, so God had decided to punish them and sent Jonah as a warning. But Jonah, so caught up with how evil they were, did not want to take God’s message to them lest they repent and escape punishment, which is exactly what happened.
Jonah was so upset he became suicidal. He was so focused on the evil of others that he totally forgot about the grace of God. He forgot that God is more eager for repentance and forgiveness than he is for judgement.
There are times when we become so angry with evil or injustice that we find ourselves wishing harm on the guilty. And yet, all the while forgetting that we too have been forgiven. Our sins may not be as bad as other people, but Jesus died for them still. Our sense of justice needs to be handed over to God. We need to trust him, allowing him to administer justice according to truth and grace. If bad people turn from their ways and find God’s forgiveness we should rejoice in the miracle and not hold on to a grudge motivated by self-pity.
God bless you and your family
Brett
Jonah was so upset he became suicidal. He was so focused on the evil of others that he totally forgot about the grace of God. He forgot that God is more eager for repentance and forgiveness than he is for judgement.
There are times when we become so angry with evil or injustice that we find ourselves wishing harm on the guilty. And yet, all the while forgetting that we too have been forgiven. Our sins may not be as bad as other people, but Jesus died for them still. Our sense of justice needs to be handed over to God. We need to trust him, allowing him to administer justice according to truth and grace. If bad people turn from their ways and find God’s forgiveness we should rejoice in the miracle and not hold on to a grudge motivated by self-pity.
God bless you and your family
Brett
Posted in Devotional