Nehemiah 12:27-28At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem…
Nehemiah watched his beloved Jerusalem fall because the
people who lived there ignored and mocked God. His heart broke as King
Nebuchadnezzar’s men annihilated the city. The walls fell and the people fled
in terror. Nehemiah lifted prayers of restoration to God. Jerusalem’s walls
were restored. The city rose again. In celebration of thanksgiving Nehemiah
invited musicians and singers to praise the work of God’s hand.
If you read the scripture, you find many stories of
devastation, destruction, and sin. People trudged through the muck and mire of
illness (lepers), catastrophe (the flood), and loss (Job). Yet believers in God
prayed their way through and found reason to celebrate. They lifted their
voices in thanksgiving. Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only so, but we also glory
in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance,
character; and character, hope.” And hope stirs a thankful heart.
In November, Americans focus on being thankful because our
forefathers founded a free land. I’m thankful for the freedom to worship God. I
pray that our country will always be a place where I have the freedom to believe in God and
praise him openly with thanksgiving.
What are you thankful for?
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