Justice and Mercy Combined - a new post by Debra Courtney

 “The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 AMP

What will you do in the “day of trouble”?  I believe we are wise to have a made up mind ahead of time concerning what we will do when trouble come.

Let me encourage you to decide to be stable. Decide to stay in faith and if your faith is on the empty side, go to the WORD of God and get more faith down inside of you, because you will need it. When difficulties have come my way I found that by staying rooted and grounded in the WORD and PRAISE keeps my mind in the right perspective. The problem is always screaming at you, you’re not going to get it, you’re going to go broke, or there are no jobs for you etc… Trials are a part of life. Jesus said they would come, but we are overcomers because He overcame. God already has a plan for our deliverance before our trouble begins. Believe it and have a made up mind to live in expectation of it!

When a defendant stands before a judge, he or she is at the mercy of the court. I understand this completely by being in the courtroom in the past on behalf of someone else.

If the defendant is innocent, the court should be a refuge. But if the defendant is guilty, we expect the court to exact punishment.

In Nahum, we see God as both a refuge and a judge. It says, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble” 1:7 NIV. But it also says, “He will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.”  Vs.8.

Over 100 years earlier, Nineveh had repented after Jonah preached God’s forgiveness, and the land was safe. Jonah 3:10 But during Nahum’s day, Nineveh was plotting “evil against the Lord” Nah. 1:11. In chapter 3, Nahum details Nineveh’s destruction.

Many people know only one side of God’s dealings with the human race but not the other. They think He is holy and wants only to punish us, or that He is merciful and wants only to show kindness. In truth, He is judge and refuge. Peter writes that Jesus “…but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly.” 1 Peter 2:23. As a result, “He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree…”

vs. 24.

The whole truth about God is good news! He is judge, but because of Jesus, we can go to Him as our refuge.

It should be our desire to never underestimate Him by seeing only one side of His role in our lives. We are to recognize and enjoy His love, grace and favor he has given to us, yet understand He hates sin. He loves us unconditionally and looks for a heart that trusts and loves Him, not for perfect performance.

God’s justice and mercy intersect at the cross.