Dedication, Pt 2 - No. 102

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.”

We continue to talk about how they dedicated the temple and how it relates to dedicating and training our children.

4. With joy and gladness.

Training our children is a solemn responsibility, but God wants us to do it with joy.

In Ezra 6:16 they “kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.”

In Nehemiah 12:27,42-43 they celebrated “the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries and with harps.”

At the dedication of Solomon’s temple there was “one sound to be heard in thanking and praising the Lord. “ (2 Chronicles 5:13)

In the same way that God rejoices and sings over us, His children, so we should rejoice over our children. (Zephaniah 3:17) We should take great joy in training our children to be separated unto the Lord. We should rejoice in the privilege of motherhood and co-working with God to fulfill this great task. (Psalm 113:9; 3 John 4)

God wants our homes to be homes of joy. In Isaiah 32:13 he calls them “the houses of joy.” Joy is the atmosphere in which He wants us to train our children. He wants you, the mother, to be filled with joy – and consequently the children to be happy and joyful.

Isaiah 51:3 gives a description of Zion. “For the Lord shall comfort Zion… joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.” This is also a description of God’s people, and personally, of our homes. Do you notice that we are to have two sets of twins in our homes?

The first set of twins is “joy and gladness”. The MLB translation says, “Joy and gladness shall abound in her.” It’s not enough to have a bit of joy from time to time. Our homes should constantly abound with joy and gladness. This is the kind of atmosphere that will cause our children to hanker after God, to love His will, and to desire to fulfill His purposes. 

The second set of twins is “thanksgiving and voice of melody.” The NLT translates it, “Lovely songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.” Does thanksgiving fill the atmosphere of your home? Are your children filled with thanksgiving and songs of praises? If you have a thankful spirit, your children will be thankful. If you are filled with the praises of the Lord, your children will have the spirit of praise. You set the tone, mother.

Hang on a minute. Here is a third set of twins. Psalm 118:15 says, “The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.” Most other translations call them “joy and victory.” Do joy and victory live at your home? What is the song of joy and victory? The right hand of the Lord does valiantly! Our confession and our song should proclaim that the Lord is in control!  His right arm does valiantly! We believe that He will work deliverance for us. The homes of the righteous should be temples of praise. Name your doors Praise! Call your walls Salvation that carry the words and songs that fill your home. (Isaiah 60:18)

Is your home filled with joy and thanksgiving? If not, cast out the evil twins of gloom and despair, negativity and unbelief and self-pity and bitterness. Instead, welcome in joy and gladness, thankfulness and melodious song.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, help me to raise my children with joy. Help me to fill my home with thanksgiving all day long. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION: