SOAP 02/15/2016; Zechariah 12:10

Today's reading: Leviticus 25, Psalm 25, 26; Acts 22*

S) "¹⁰ I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn."

Zechariah 12:10 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Zechariah 12

O) This is another Old Testament prophecy that holds shades of the Messiah. I haven't yet learned enough history to know if this was also fulfilled in ancient Jerusalem (before Jesus), but when read in the context of the arrest, crucifixion, and death of Jesus Christ, then we see a big picture of the extent and fullness of God's grace. Most of the Jews in Jerusalem were in unison, crying for the crucifixion of their own Messiah (though they didn't know He was). Yet, after His death, the eyes of many were opened, and those who were once His direct enemies were coming back to Him. In God's grace, He knew beforehand that the very people to whom Jesus was sent, to be their Savior first, that they would betray Him. In His grace, God the Father still drew them to Himself, by His very own Spirit. The nature of His grace is that He sent a sacrifice, sent His one and only Son to die, to save His own enemies, the very ones who killed that same Son. God's grace took their treachery and redeemed it for His purposes. Thankfully, it didn't end there. Many of those same Jews came to repentance, learning about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His conquering of sin and death, and His ascension to heaven.

A) God's grace is bigger than my own mistakes. Even after submitting my life to the lordship of Jesus Christ, after choosing to follow Him, to be His disciple, there are still sins in my life. The difference, though, is my understanding of grace, which leads me to repentance, and allows mercy to become real to me. I have a tendency to wallow when I have sinned in certain ways. I tend to let the feelings of shame weigh on me, even after the guilt is washed away in Christ. This is really because of taking my eyes off of the power of His grace. I understand the mercy part. I understand the justice being done. Jesus died to pay for my sins, all of them, even the ones I've yet to do. So, He was punished instead of me, which affords me the forgiveness I need. But the grace says more than that. The grace tells the rest of the story. The grace tells me that God loves me, that He wants me, even though I am a broken, sinful, and desperate sinner. When I am walking in repentance, when I am walking in the Spirit, then He sees me in Christ. But, when I am sinning... He still sees my sins. He still sees my selfish ambitions. But, He also sees His plan. He also sees His redemption. He sees how He will use all things for the good of those who love Him. Without question, it would be better to not sin. However, the beauty of grace is that it reveals another dimension of His providence and love. I don't have to stay ashamed of my sins, after the guilt has been washed, because His grace can redeem anything. His grace redeems me completely.

P) Father, the depths of Your grace is too far for me to see. Your understanding, Your wisdom, Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension. How You do what You do is a mystery that is beyond me. You are holy. Thank You, though, for teaching me. Thank You for redeeming me. Thank You for the Counselor I have, to help me understand more and more. I want to be holy as You are holy, seeing things from Your perspective, becoming more like You in character. I want to love my enemies as You loved me, Your enemy. I want to extend grace to others and reflect the grace of the gospel. I want to reveal redemption to the most hopeless situations, showing the love of Christ to the helpless and lost. I confess that I am still broken, not yet completed in Your grace. I confess that I still sin, that I am easily distracted, that I am tempted and I fail. But, I pray for Your forgiveness. I thank You for the work of the cross. I ask for Your grace to continue in me, just as Your word says in Philippians. Please continue the good work You have started in me, until the day You complete it. When I do sin, and I repent, bring me out of my shame. Help me to live in Your grace, as well as Your mercy. Don't let my sins rob me of time, as well as whatever else they might have cost me. Redeem me, use me, God. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.