Show Kindness and Mercy

This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor, and do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.” 
— Zechariah 7:9–10


Through the prophet Zechariah, God reminds His people that true devotion to Him is inseparable from how we treat others—especially the vulnerable. Administering “true justice” means more than applying rules fairly; it means actively ensuring that those who are overlooked, powerless, or easily harmed receive protection, dignity, and care. Justice in God’s eyes is relational—it restores, defends, and mends what is broken.

But justice alone is not enough. God also calls His people to “show loving devotion and compassion,” a tenderness of heart that moves us toward others with empathy and mercy. This combination—justice joined with compassion—reflects the very nature of God, who is both perfectly righteous and infinitely loving. His warning not to plot evil in our hearts reminds us that division and harm often begin internally: quiet resentments, hidden prejudices, or unexamined motives that shape how we treat others long before any outward action.

In a fractured world, pursuing both justice and mercy becomes a powerful testimony to God’s character. It means seeing those on the margins—widows, orphans, foreigners, the poor—as precious to Him and refusing to participate in the structures or attitudes that diminish their worth. It means checking our hearts for any impulse that would work against the peace and flourishing of others.

Who in your community, church, or circle of influence may be vulnerable, overlooked, or in need of advocacy and compassion right now? Which is harder for you to practice—justice that protects, or mercy that draws near—and why? What attitudes in your own heart might God be inviting you to surrender so that you can love others more faithfully?

Today, take one step to advocate for, encourage, or tangibly help someone who might otherwise be forgotten. In doing so, you reflect the heart of God, who calls His people to be instruments of both justice and mercy.


LORD of Hosts, 

Help me to live out Your command to practice true justice and to show loving devotion and compassion. Keep my heart free from evil intentions, and guide me to see and serve those who are vulnerable. Let my actions reflect both Your justice and Your mercy. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

-

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