Christian Devotional – February 16, 2020

Day 47 – They rejoiced. Why did they rejoice? God had given them great joy. Read Nehemiah 12:31-43.

Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two great choirs, the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward the Refuse Gate. Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them, with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east. The second choir proceeded to the left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, above the Tower of Furnaces, to the Broad Wall, and above the Gate of Ephraim, by the Old Gate, by the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Gate of the Guard. Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me; and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets; and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. And the singers sang, with Jezrahiah their leader, and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.
Nehemiah 12:31‭-‬43 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/neh.12.31-43.NASB

They had great joy. God had given them great joy. Because of their obedience, they accomplished the work that God had given them to do. They no longer felt like a shame or reproach. Now, Jerusalem was strong again. As part of their dedication, they had a choir, a huge choir, standing up on top of the wall and singing praises to God. I’m sure the whole countryside heard! They rejoiced because God had given them great joy.

God has done so much for us! He is the one who provides for everything that we have and everything that we need and he gives us great joy. Do we rejoice in him? Do we sing praises? Does everyone around us know and see and hear praises to God through us? Who can we share our joy with today?