Nehemiah 12:38,40: “The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I [Nehemiah] was behind them with half of the people on the wall, going past the Tower of the Ovens as far as the Broad Wall . . . So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me;”

November 14th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Nehemiah dedicated the finished wall by dividing the Levitical singers into 2 choirs and sending them, with the leaders (also divided) behind them, in opposite directions on the wall, with everyone meeting at the temple. Many of these people were the same ones who in the previous chapter had left their homes in the country to move into Jerusalem. They were celebrating the good things God had done for them and through them because of their obedience in following Him. They were experiencing great joy as a result of giving up something temporal, where they lived, for something eternal, the joy and blessings that accompany obedience. When God asks us to surrender something of temporal worth, He does so for the purpose of replacing it with a prize of eternal value.

Pastor Richard Cecil taught this concept to his young daughter in a very dramatic way. As she sat upon his knee one day, he said to her, “If you truly love me, you will do whatever I ask.” Then he asked her to remove the inexpensive string of glass beads she was wearing and throw it into the fire. Looking at him with surprise and wonder, she could hardly believe he meant what he said. Yet his steady gaze convinced her he was in earnest. She slowly walked to the fireplace with trembling steps, clutching her cherished possession. At last, she reluctantly threw it into the flames. Then, flinging herself into her father’s arms, she sobbed in bewilderment, not knowing why she had to suffer such a loss. A few days later, on her birthday, she found a little package on the table in her room. When she opened it, her eyes grew wide with excitement as she beheld a lovely necklace of genuine pearls. The card bearing her name was signed, “with love, Father.” She immediately ran to him and cried, “O’ Daddy, now I understand. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you more!” This little girl, like those who moved into the city, discovered that being obedient to God is almost always simply a matter of faith and trust.

“LORD, we trust You with our lives; please use them in someone else’s life to further Your Kingdom this day.”