SCRIPTURE: Nehemiah 12
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
The Levites who returned with them were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. [Nehemiah 12:8]
In this chapter, we see a specially planned and organized “thanksgiving day”, a celebration of the goodness of God.
It was very formal, choreographed, yet very sincere – afterall they had been through, they were very thankful.
I love the line that describes the levites who were put in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.
Learning the songs, writing new ones, teaching them to the people, or singing them for public occasions.
Were these an early version of what we call church choirs or praise teams – the worship leaders?
Everyone among the Jews in Nehemiah’s day had reason to be thankful, but some people were assigned the task of keeping the focus on thankfulness.
Who reminds me to be thankful?
 
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. [Mark 5:18-20]
Did Jesus have to remind this man to be thankful? No, he was oozing gratitude, after all that Jesus had done for him.
But Jesus did give him a special assignment; he was put in charge of the “songs of thanksgiving” among his family and neighbours.
He was commissioned to be publicly thankful, and the result was that everyone was amazed at what they heard from him.
 
I see this as our assignment; to be a Jesus-follower is not to isolate ourselves away with Jesus, to privately enjoy our “personal relationship with Jesus”.
The Lord has done amazing things for us (if we cannot stop right now and list them, then we have forgotten the “songs of thanksgiving”).
He has not taken us away from this life to be with Him yet because He has another job for us; we are in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.
We are commissioned to “go home to our family and tell them everything the Lord has done for us, and how merciful He has been”.
Everyone ought to be thankful, but many people forget this, or are ignorant of this; therefore the Lord has assigned His followers to remind the world!
This is what it means to be a witness – just tell people what the Lord has done, and why you are thankful.
How am I doing: do I know the songs of thanksgiving? Am I writing new ones? Am I teaching others these songs?

PRAYER:
Lord, I want to be a faithful singer of the songs of thanksgiving, I want to be like this man who amazed others with his testimony about You. Help me to know what I am thankful for, and help me to tell someone about it today!