Today's Scripture:

Zechariah 12:10-14 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the rest of the clans and their wives.

Read: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
I believe the prophesy in this scripture is telling me to remember the ultimate sacrifice God made when He came to earth to be among His people. They rejected Jesus, the only child-first born of God, and didn’t realize who He was until it was too late, yet He still loved them and poured out His Spirit on them to allow them to recognize and mourn their sinful ways. It is unimaginable to understand the suffering and sacrifice Christ endured for all of us and it is deeply humbling to know He loves and forgives me despite my many sins.

Reflect: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
This scripture reminds me of a time of mourning when a close friend and I had a big disagreement. She wasn’t receptive to my point of view, and I didn’t agree with hers. We didn’t talk again for several months. I was deeply hurt and truly mourned the loss of a great friend who I thought would make time to listen to me or at least agree to disagree. Thankfully, after a time of reflection, I reached out to her, and we extended grace to one another to move forward and reconcile our differences.

Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
The scripture applies to the past, present and future. I believe it is calling me to respond to others with grace, humility and forgiveness, just as God does for me. When I accepted Christ as my Savior, I was filled with joy, but I also wept many tears knowing I was unworthy of such grace. This is a powerful reminder to me that healing and forgiveness are always possible with God’s help. He longs for a relationship with all of us. When we recognize our sins with repentance and obedience, we can be closer to Him and extend that love to others.

About Ann Hodge:
My husband Tom and I have been married for 37 years. We have three adult children and one precious grandson. We are enjoying the opportunities "retirement" has allowed us to participate in more activities in our church and community.
I have been a member of Grace since 2019. I am a new Deacon and also participate in Inspire, a disciple group and equipping classes.