Hope in God’s Mercy

21 October 2026

The king of Nineveh understood that his people deserved God’s judgment. He called them to turn from their evil ways and cry out to God. Yet he could not promise them forgiveness. Mark Penrith explains, “The king does not know. He has no promise.” Jonah’s message had warned of destruction, not offered a guarantee of mercy. The king could only say, “Who knows? God may turn and relent; he may turn from his burning anger so that we will not perish” (Jonah 3:9, CSB). Nineveh had to take responsibility for its sin, but it could not demand that God forgive them. We need the same humility. We must take our sin seriously while recognising that mercy belongs to God.

Mark makes the tension clear: “Man must repent. Yet man cannot demand mercy.” We are responsible for our choices. We cannot blame our anger on a difficult day, our dishonesty on workplace pressure, or our selfishness on the people around us. We must confess our sin and turn from it. But we must never imagine that our repentance puts God in our debt. A productive week, faithful church attendance, or a record of good behaviour cannot purchase forgiveness. We do not approach God as people who have earned his favour. We come as sinners who need his grace.

This truth guards us from both pride and despair. Mark says, “God is free. God is under no obligation. He does not owe Nineveh mercy.” That might unsettle us until we remember the character of the God who saves. His mercy is not something we can control, but neither is it something we should stop seeking. When you fail, do not hide from God or try to make yourself worthy before you return to him. Confess your sin honestly. Trust his gracious character. Then take responsibility for the harm you have caused. Apologise to your wife. Put right what you can at work. Take practical steps to turn away from the sin you have confessed. Repentance does not pay for mercy. It responds to God with humility.

Teach your children this same lesson. Do not let them think forgiveness is a reward for pretending to be good. Help them admit what they have done, understand why it was wrong, and seek to make things right. Show them how to do this by confessing your own failures. Mark reminds us, “Man is responsible. God is sovereign.” We must own our sin without pretending we can save ourselves. We must seek mercy without treating it as something we deserve.

Let’s pray. Father, keep us humble before you. Help us confess our sin honestly, trust your mercy, and make right what we have done wrong. Thank you for the grace we could never earn. Amen.

Read the sermon notes here.

Watch the sermon here.

This devotional content is not penned by the preacher. It is derived from the sermon notes. We aim to provide bite-sized reflections throughout the week for devotion and reflection.