“Celebration brings joy to life, and joy makes us strong.”
Richard Foster shares this powerful truth in his classic book, The Celebration of Discipline. He tells us God designed us in a way that celebration is actually central to all the other disciplines. Nehemiah said it this way in the Old Testament: “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
What was Nehemiah trying to communicate? The people had just heard Ezra read the Book of the Law and had the Levites explain to them what everything meant. They were deeply convicted by what they then understood, seeing their sinful state before a holy God. They began to mourn, but Nehemiah and the Levites stopped them and said that God wanted them to celebrate. Why? Because although the people had just come to terms with the sinful condition of their heart, God had always known it-and He loved them anyway! In order to truly experience the joy of this celebration, they had to see how much they were absolutely unworthy of it. God wanted to bless them with the joy of His unfailing love because He knew it would strengthen them for what was to come as they continued to rebuild the city walls.
Even when praising God in our thoughts and words is the last thing we feel like doing, our loving Father wants us to choose it anyway. He knows the slippery slope of discouragement and despair that result from grumbling and murmuring! He promises to meet us at that place of decision, where His Spirit gives us what we need to continue on the blessed path of gratitude. He knows that when we habitually choose this path, we will not be able to help overflowing with His joy- and that it will strengthen us for the difficulties that Jesus plainly told us would come. The joy and laughter of celebration allow us to “take heart”, because our Savior Jesus has overcome the world!
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
Our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
and (as a result) we are filled with joy.
Psalm 126: 2-3 (boldface and note mine)
Let us spend a moment praising God for the amazing things He has done for us!
God chose, “…because of His great love for us”, to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. He paid the price we could never pay by substituting Himself in the ultimate act of sacrificial love, while at the same time satisfying the requirements of His law and His absolute, complete righteousness. He chose to limit Himself by willingly giving up His place of power in heaven and coming to this earth in the flesh – for 33 years! He could have called in an army of angels at any time, but He chose not to. Then, Jesus chose to humbly obey His Father and lay His sinless life down for us, suffering an agonizing death. Jesus gave Himself for my sin and yours in a sacrifice powerful enough to take the weight of it all – past, present and future.
But, friend, this is not the end! Three days later He rose again, completely defeating sin and death for any who choose to accept His perfect sacrifice! He broke the power of sin over your life, and gave you His Spirit to guide, strengthen, encourage, and comfort! He came so that you may have life, and have it more abundantly! This is worth celebrating!
May you remember the blessed Resurrection with a true heart of celebration!
Memory Scriptures
The upright see and rejoice!
Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the LORD.
Psalm 107:42a-43
Prayer
Father, what love You lavish on us! Thank You that You designed our lives in Christ so that they will WORK. You do not ask us to walk out this life on earth in defeat, but in victory. You know what we need before we do. Jesus said He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly. He could have just said He came that we may have life- and Lord that would have been enough! But He didn’t, He said He came so that we could have life AND have it more abundantly. Oh, Father, we cry out to You- live through us that we may take hold of everything in this life for which You took hold of us! Help us daily celebrate Your undeserved, overflowing mercy and grace! Let others see in us the abundant life You offer and turn to You! We pray this in Your Holy, Precious Name, Jesus.
