How do we understand God's mercy during chastisement?

In Scripture, divine chastisement is not punitive but corrective, establishing God’s love for His children. As expressed in Hebrews 12:6, 'For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.' Chastisement serves to remind believers of their need for repentance and reliance on God’s grace. In the case of Jonah, his experience in the belly of the fish illustrates that though he disobeyed, God's discipline resulted in spiritual awakening and repentance, ultimately restoring him. This compassionate correction aims to produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness in the hearts of those who endure it, guiding them back to the fellowship and mercy of God.