Restoration Through Justice and Mercy in Christ

Devotional

Day 1: The Day of the Lord—God’s Justice and Mercy Meet

The “Day of the Lord” is a decisive moment when God confronts injustice, evil, and idolatry, not only in the world but also within each of us. This day is both awesome and terrifying, a time when God’s justice is revealed in full force, yet it is not merely about punishment but about setting things right. We often desire justice for others and mercy for ourselves, but God’s justice is always paired with His mercy, offering us a way back to Him. The call is to recognize our own complicity in brokenness and to turn to God, who desires our hearts and offers restoration. [34:57]

Joel 2:1-2, 10-13 (ESV)
Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations… The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Reflection: Where do you see both justice and mercy at work in your own life, and how might God be inviting you to return to Him with your whole heart today?

Day 2: Restoration and Renewal through Repentance

God’s justice is not about retribution but about putting things right—restoring relationships and renewing hearts. True repentance is not just an outward act but a deep, heartfelt turning back to God, acknowledging that His justice is rightfully aimed at us as well. In this honest confession, we find that God’s desire is not to punish but to reconcile, to bring us back into relationship with Him. No matter how far we have wandered, God’s mercy offers us a way home, and in Jesus, we see the perfect union of justice and mercy, as He bears the weight of brokenness for us. [45:03]

Joel 2:12-13, 32 (ESV)
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster… And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to move beyond outward actions and truly turn your heart back to God in repentance today?

Day 3: God’s Spirit Poured Out on All People

God’s promise is not only to restore but to empower—He pours out His Spirit on all people, regardless of status, background, or past mistakes. This outpouring is for the unlikely, the overlooked, and the broken, making them partners with God in His work of renewal. The Spirit is not reserved for the “most likely to succeed” but is given to each of us, calling us to live as agents of hope and transformation in the world. When we receive the Spirit, we are invited to step off the sidelines and participate in God’s ongoing story of justice and mercy. [48:03]

Joel 2:28-29 (ESV)
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”

Reflection: In what specific way can you step out in faith today, trusting that God’s Spirit has been poured out on you to make a difference in someone’s life?

Day 4: Living as Agents of Justice and Mercy

To live as God’s people means to take sin seriously, to repent sincerely, and to receive grace deeply. But it also means to embody justice and mercy in our daily lives, becoming agents of hope and restoration in our communities. God calls us not to be spectators but to participate in His work—putting things right, extending forgiveness, and offering support to those who are overlooked or hurting. When we live Spirit-filled lives, we reflect God’s character and become part of His larger story of redemption. [50:08]

Micah 6:8 (ESV)
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Reflection: Who is someone in your community or circle who needs hope or support, and how can you tangibly embody both justice and mercy toward them this week?

Day 5: Hope in God’s Faithfulness and the Larger Story

Each of us has our own story, but God invites us into a larger story—a story of His faithfulness, restoration, and hope. Even when our individual stories are marked by brokenness or failure, God weaves them together into His grand narrative of redemption. The church is called to be a community where these stories are joined, where unlikely people are empowered, and where God’s justice and mercy are made visible. In Christ, we find the assurance that God’s story ends not in terror but in hope, as He sets all things right and welcomes us into His love. [51:30]

Romans 8:28 (ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Reflection: How does knowing you are part of God’s larger story give you hope today, and what is one way you can share that hope with someone else?

Sermon Summary

The story of God’s people is not just a collection of individual lives, but a grand narrative of restoration, justice, and mercy woven together by God’s faithfulness. The book of Joel, nestled among the Minor Prophets, offers a vivid picture of this larger story. Joel’s vision of a devastating locust plague is more than a natural disaster; it is a metaphor for the spiritual reckoning that comes when injustice, evil, and idolatry are left unchecked. The “day of the Lord” is a decisive moment when God confronts all that is wrong in the world—not just in others, but in us as well.

We often long for justice, especially when we see others’ wrongdoing, but Joel reminds us that true justice also exposes our own complicity in brokenness. The tension between our desire for justice and our need for mercy is resolved in God’s heart. God’s justice is not merely punitive; it is restorative. He calls us not to external displays of repentance, but to a genuine turning of our hearts—a recognition that we, too, have contributed to the world’s pain and need God’s mercy.

This restoration is made possible through Jesus Christ, who embodies both God’s justice and mercy. On the cross, Jesus experiences the “day of the Lord” on our behalf, taking upon himself the consequences of injustice so that we might be restored. Through his resurrection, we are offered not only forgiveness but also the gift of the Holy Spirit. Joel’s prophecy that God’s Spirit would be poured out on all people is fulfilled in Christ, empowering even the most unlikely among us to become agents of hope and renewal.

Our calling, then, is to take both sin and grace seriously. We are invited to repent sincerely, to receive God’s grace without reservation, and to live Spirit-filled lives that embody both justice and mercy. No one is too far gone; God’s Spirit is poured out on all who call on his name. As we participate in God’s work of restoration, we become part of a story far greater than our own—a story of hope, transformation, and the triumph of God’s love.

Key Takeaways

1. Justice and Mercy Are Not Opposites in God’s Heart God’s justice is not about retribution but about setting things right. The “day of the Lord” is both awesome and terrifying because it means the end of all injustice, including the injustice within us. God’s mercy does not negate justice; rather, in Christ, justice and mercy meet, offering us restoration instead of mere punishment. [34:57]
2. True Repentance Is Heart-Deep, Not Just Outward God calls us to “tear our hearts, not our garments”—to move beyond surface-level remorse and allow his Spirit to reveal the ways we have contributed to brokenness. Real repentance acknowledges that we are not just victims but also perpetrators of injustice, and it is this honest turning that opens the way for God’s renewal. [43:46]
3. The Cross Is the Ultimate Day of the Lord Jesus’ death is described in the language of Joel’s prophecy: darkness, earthquake, and cosmic upheaval. On the cross, Jesus absorbs the full weight of justice so that we might receive mercy. Because he endured the “day,” we are invited into a restored relationship with God, free from condemnation. [45:03]
4. God’s Spirit Empowers the Unlikely for His Work Joel’s vision is fulfilled as God pours out his Spirit on all people—regardless of status, background, or past failures. The Spirit is not reserved for the “most likely to succeed,” but is given to empower ordinary, even broken, people to become agents of hope, healing, and justice in the world. [48:03]
5. Living the Story Means Embodying Both Justice and Mercy To participate in God’s restoration, we must take sin seriously—refusing to excuse or minimize it—and take grace seriously, believing that no one is beyond God’s reach. Spirit-filled living means not sitting on the sidelines, but stepping into our calling as agents of hope, embodying the justice and mercy we have received.

** [50:08]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:45] - Call to Worship and Confession
[10:36] - Assurance of Pardon and Thanksgiving
[17:53] - Joel 2: The Day of the Lord
[19:31] - God’s Justice and the Coming Reckoning
[20:34] - Promise of Restoration and the Spirit
[23:59] - The Minor Prophets: The Book of the Twelve
[28:03] - Our Stories in God’s Larger Story
[30:08] - Locusts as a Metaphor for Spiritual Disaster
[33:41] - The Day of the Lord: Justice and Judgment
[36:27] - The Human Desire for Justice
[39:08] - Recognizing Our Own Injustice
[42:22] - Justice, Mercy, and Restoration
[46:53] - The Spirit Poured Out on All
[48:48] - Becoming Agents of Hope
[50:08] - Living Spirit-Filled Lives
[51:30] - Communion: Remembering Christ’s Sacrifice
[52:37] - The Lord’s Prayer and Invitation
[57:10] - Closing Blessing and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joel 2:1-2, 12-13, 28-32 (ESV) —
> 1 Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,
> 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations.
> ...
> 12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
> 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
> ...
> 28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
> 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
> 30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
> 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
> 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Observation Questions

What does Joel use the locust plague to represent, and how does he describe the “day of the Lord”?
According to Joel 2:12-13, what kind of repentance does God desire from his people?
In Joel’s prophecy, who does God promise to pour out his Spirit on? Is anyone excluded?
How does the sermon describe the relationship between God’s justice and mercy?

Interpretation Questions

The “day of the Lord” is described as both awesome and terrifying. Why might this day be both good news and bad news for different people?
The sermon says that God’s justice is not just about punishment, but about setting things right. How does this understanding of justice change the way we think about God’s actions in the world?
Joel calls for people to “tear your hearts, not your garments.” What does it look like to have heart-deep repentance rather than just outward displays?
The Spirit is poured out on “all people”—even those considered unlikely or unworthy. What does this say about who God chooses to use in his work of restoration?

Application Questions

The sermon points out that we often want justice for others but mercy for ourselves. Can you think of a recent situation where you felt this way? How might recognizing your own need for mercy change your response?
Joel’s call is to “tear your hearts, not your garments.” Is there an area in your life where you have been content with surface-level repentance? What would it look like to let God work deeper in your heart this week?
The “day of the Lord” means God will confront all injustice—including the injustice within us. Are there ways you have contributed to brokenness or injustice (even unintentionally)? What step could you take to make things right?
The sermon says that no one is too far gone for God’s Spirit to be poured out on them. Is there someone in your life (maybe even yourself) you’ve considered “unlikely” for God to use? How might you encourage or pray for them (or yourself) this week?
The story of Buddy in the sermon shows how God can restore and use even those with a painful past. Is there a part of your story you think disqualifies you from being used by God? How might God want to use that very part for his work of hope and renewal?
The sermon challenges us to take both sin and grace seriously. What is one practical way you can “take sin seriously” and “take grace seriously” in your relationships or daily life this week?
Spirit-filled living means not sitting on the sidelines. What is one step you can take this month to move from being a spectator to an “agent of hope” in your family, workplace, or community?

Sermon Clips

``But what the people of Judah don't yet own is that when this righteous and just king comes to eradicate injustice, that some of the injustice that needs to be eradicated is actually in them. They haven't yet warmed up to the fact that they're not just victims, but they're also perpetrators of injustice. [00:37:59] (27 seconds) #SpiritEmpowersAll

Restoration and renewal is God's response to the tension that we feel between justice and mercy in our own lives. Justice doesn't always mean punishment. Justice isn't punitive in God's eyes. Real justice for God means putting things right. Putting things right again is just for God. [00:43:25] (25 seconds)

What God wants is not punishment, but my heart. He says, turn back to me. Come and be restored to relationship with me. What I want is this moment of reconciliation with you. That is justice for God and mercy coming together. [00:44:02] (17 seconds)

Repentance here is described not just as sort of external activities that we go through, but it's recognizing in my heart, in my bones, that God's justice is rightfully aimed at me. God's justice is rightfully aimed at me because I have been the reason why life is unfair for many people. And like the woman coming to Napoleon, instead of getting that justice, I ask for mercy instead. And God said, yes, yes, come back to me. Give me your heart again. You are the reason life is unfair for others. But with me, there's always a way back to relationship. [00:44:28] (46 seconds)

And most emphatically, we see that way back in the person of Jesus Christ. In Joel chapter 2, verse 32, we read these words, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. That idea of being saved means shown mercy, will receive salvation, will be renewed, will be restored, will be rescued from this calamity. [00:45:14] (24 seconds)

Because Jesus is the perfect expression of God's character, merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, unfailing love, says Joel. This is Jesus. But Jesus is also the place, the stunning moment of God's punishment on brokenness and injustice comes. His death on the cross is like this intensified day of the Lord. [00:45:50] (24 seconds)

Jesus goes through the day so that you will never go through the day. You will never go through the day because Jesus takes it. And then Jesus says, now I give you my spirit. I don't just take it, but I give you my spirit. I give you a spirit of adoption, a spirit of sonship, a spirit that makes you my sons and daughters. [00:46:40] (21 seconds)

But when you step into that role, you embody justice, putting things right again, and mercy. Joel begins with terror, but ends with hope. A God who is just and merciful because of the grace we have in Jesus Christ. [00:51:30] (21 seconds)

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