For some time I have wondered about the meaning of Sackcloth and Ashes.  Looking around me, I see many people over the world today that seems to wear sackcloth and covered in ashes. They are covered in grey pale and became almost invisible as they grief in spirit.

Taking a deep breath, I plunged into the scriptures to find those valuable lessons within and came to several conclusions as I studied the Scriptures. While reading, I found my heart grieved and as my understanding of this subject unfolded it became more and more defined. 

In a number of places in the word, we have seen how sackcloth and ashes are used with biblical references to the wearing of sackcloth and having ashes sprinkled on the head as a sign of repentance or mourning.

In the Old Testament the people wore sackcloth and ashes as a sign of humbleness for true repentance over something that has been done, deep sorrow or remorse by inner regret of sins.  It shows the sincerity of the person to turn from sin, follow and serve Yahweh with all our heart, soul and mind.
True repentance is rarely understood in our recent times. To repent in sackcloth and ashes, shows our intense remorse and grief concerning our sins and wrong doing. True repentance involves deep sorrow and a complete attitude change toward any form of sin. It shows a complete humility of spirit, and a contrite attitude. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: Daniel 9: 3

The point is to live in humility and poverty while you wear the sackcloth. This is the time when we humble ourselves in prayer, by meditating on our sins, ask our Yahweh for forgiveness and make resolution to not repeat those sins.

"The righteous cry out and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:17-18

In my vision of the sackcloth, I see the color of ashes as deathlike paleness. This is a time period of refinery of the old and becoming a new being.  

 
 Yeshua said to anoint our heads with oil and to wash our face. Matthew 6:17. We shouldn't purposely attract attention but rather seek the Lord our God that is gracious and merciful. "Rend your hearts, and not your garments." Accept the grace of Yahweh and let Him be our sole treasure and giver of abundant love and joy.

“and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster. Joel 2:13

A verse that I have been contemplating quite heavily on is the followingit has presented is the LORD's astonishing faithfulness in every way possible:

Isaiah 58:6-14 
“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.

And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure  on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking your own pleasure,  or talking idly;
 then you shall take delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

May you be comforted in these words: Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!” Psalm 35:27

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11