Zechariah 9:9-12 (NRSV)
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Verse 9Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Verse 10He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Verse 11As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Verse 12Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.
Devotion
Being at war is exhausting. It drains the spirit, strains resources, claims victims both seen and unseen. It doesn't matter whether the battle is fought on the field or in the soul: being at war can consume us.
Especially in wartime, we all need messengers of peace -- voices that call us to lay down our arms and embrace our enemies. They remind us that God has bigger plans for us. They give us hope when the future seems filled with conflict.
Zechariah is preaching to people who have known the desolation of exile and the weariness of war. They have worked hard to rebuild their home and rediscover their roots. His words overflow with hope -- the hope of life without fighting, of relationships without brokenness.
God continues to call us to pray for and work for peace -- peace in our hearts, peace in our families, peace in our communities, peace in our world.
Prayer
Prince of Peace, give us the words, the conviction, the hopefulness we need to be messengers of peace to those who need their hope refreshed. Amen.