Don't Give Up; Celebration Is On The Way
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought out to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.
The musicians were also brought together from the region around Jerusalem . . .
I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.
. . . The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people -- past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall . . .
The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God . . .
The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.
Nehemiah 12:27-43
The musicians were also brought together from the region around Jerusalem . . .
I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.
. . . The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people -- past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall . . .
The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God . . .
The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.
Nehemiah 12:27-43
Rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem was not a walk in the park on a sunny day sipping a cold drink or licking comfortably away at a cone of ice cream. The efforts to rebuild the wall, set the gates in place, and secure the well-being of the Jews involved a lot of sweat, hard work, and even tears!
There were numerous plots to derail the project. There were death threats. There was intimidation. There was tiredness. There was weariness. There were times of great doubt and discouragement when the rubble seemed so much that the strength of the people almost gave out. Nehemiah, the leader had to use divine wisdom to avoid numerous attacks and traps that were directed personally at him. But in the end, God gave the victory.
It was now time to celebrate the victory of accomplishing that incredible feat and even more importantly, the God of the victory. The biblical description speaks for itself: ". . . the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully . . . The two choirs that that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God . . . And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away." What a marvelous sight to behold! One can only imagine the fear and shock of their enemies who had fought so hard against the vision.
Accomplishing a vision is never easy. It entails a lot! But never give up! Work hard at the vision God has given you. Press on through the opposition, weariness, and threats. Never give up because God will surely give you the strength and eventual victory. Your enemies will be put to shame as you celebrate with the sound of rejoicing. Don't give up! There is a time of celebration ahead. May your day of celebration be heard far and wide to the glory of God!
There were numerous plots to derail the project. There were death threats. There was intimidation. There was tiredness. There was weariness. There were times of great doubt and discouragement when the rubble seemed so much that the strength of the people almost gave out. Nehemiah, the leader had to use divine wisdom to avoid numerous attacks and traps that were directed personally at him. But in the end, God gave the victory.
It was now time to celebrate the victory of accomplishing that incredible feat and even more importantly, the God of the victory. The biblical description speaks for itself: ". . . the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully . . . The two choirs that that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God . . . And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away." What a marvelous sight to behold! One can only imagine the fear and shock of their enemies who had fought so hard against the vision.
Accomplishing a vision is never easy. It entails a lot! But never give up! Work hard at the vision God has given you. Press on through the opposition, weariness, and threats. Never give up because God will surely give you the strength and eventual victory. Your enemies will be put to shame as you celebrate with the sound of rejoicing. Don't give up! There is a time of celebration ahead. May your day of celebration be heard far and wide to the glory of God!
Prayer: Father, I thank you that there is a time of celebration around the corner. Please help me never to give up because the battle is already won in the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.