Friday - Faithful to Praise

Nehemiah 12:43
“Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.”

Nehemiah 11 tells us who filled the city. Nehemiah 12 tells us what filled the city. It was filled with thanksgiving, singing, and joy.

The wall was finally finished, and it was time to dedicate it to God. They gathered the Levites. They brought in the singers. They prepared the instruments. They came together with gladness and thanksgiving. Then Nehemiah divided them into two great companies. One group walked one direction along the top of the wall. The other group walked the opposite direction. They walked around Jerusalem, praising God for what He had done.

Think back to what Tobiah had said back in chapter 4, that the wall couldn’t even hold the weight of a fox if it climbed up on it. Now two huge groups of people were standing on top of that same wall, praising God.

When the two groups reached the house of God, the entire city joined together in celebration. Look at how many times joy shows up in the verse we started with today. They rejoiced. God made them rejoice. They rejoiced with great joy. This wasn’t limited to a few leaders up front. The men rejoiced. The wives rejoiced. The children rejoiced. The whole city rejoiced together, so loud and so genuine that people outside the city could hear it.

Wouldn’t that be a great testimony for us today? Not known for our programs. Not known for our buildings. But known for a joy so real it can’t be contained. That’s the testimony God wants from His church, not perfection, but praise that overflows.

Someday, the credits will roll on your life. Maybe no one down here will remember your name. Maybe you were never the one up front. But Nehemiah recorded these names for a reason. Ordinary people, faithful people, written into God’s eternal Word. The ones who showed up. The ones who served without applause. The ones who prayed. The ones whose praise couldn’t be contained.

So don’t just finish this week wanting to be used by God. Finish this week willing to be one of the names. Present. Serving. Praying. Praising. That’s a faithful community. And that’s exactly what God is still looking for.

LET ME ASK YOU
Looking back over this whole week, which of the four marks, present, serving, praying, or praising, is God asking you to grow in the most?