And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His Name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things” Isaiah 12: 4-5 (NKJV).
Celebration means different things to people. Some persons celebrate with merriment, others celebrate by giving thanks to God. In our daily lives in families or nationally, there are individuals who may celebrate academic achievement, the birth of a child, the success of being elevated to a specific office or position, and even the construction of a new home.
There is a Biblical account that gives us a perfect example of how we could celebrate an achievement after hard work. Nehemiah, the prophet, recorded the experience he had during the period of the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. It was hard work. Chapters three and four of Nehemiah give us a perfect picture of cooperation. This should remind us of how our Indigenous people worked with a ‘community spirit’ to clear farmlands. The citizens of Jerusalem worked in family groups. At one point they worked with a weapon in one hand and a tool in the other. There is strength in unity. Together we can achieve the extraordinary.
Nehemiah 4:23 gives us a picture of the magnitude of the task. For anyone to have good success one must be prepared to make sacrifices, to be committed, to realize that nothing is achieved by oneself. When the task was completed in an unexpectedly short period, Nehemiah acknowledged that God had been there with them all the time. He knew that it was time to celebrate.
Nehemiah 12, gives us a picture of the plan. Levites, priests, and musicians, were all gathered in Jerusalem. Then the leaders and the people gathered at the temple, where loud songs of praise were heard. Nehemiah knew what Psalm 127:1 tells us: Unless the LORD builds a house, they labour in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain (NKJV).
As we ponder on the words in this Psalm let us consider our lives. We can fill the blanks unless the Lord builds…..unless the Lord guards….. Let’s all acknowledge the grace and mercy of God when we celebrate.
Read: Nehemiah 4:6-23
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 3:21-35; Matthew 21:18-32; Job 22; Job 23; Job 24
