Read Nehemiah 12:40-43

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. When tens of thousands of fans pack into arenas to watch a match of their favorite team, the enthusiasm can be contagious. Shouting, chanting, singing, and cheering with great passion is part of the experience of attending a match. Sometimes the crowd from these matches can be heard from blocks away.

Without a doubt soccer is an amazing sport, but God is even more amazing! While a superstar player may make a fantastic shot, God raised Jesus from the dead!! Shouldn’t there be as much or more excitement about what God is doing than what happens on a soccer pitch?

When the Israelites dedicated the rebuilt wall of Jerusalem, they threw a party complete with live music and choirs! The made a glorious uproar that everyone could hear.

And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

What a testimony that must have been for the people that lived around Jerusalem!!! The Israelites knew that God had done incredible things among them and they weren’t ashamed to celebrate His might power!!

What do you get most excited about in your life?
What would it take for you to be this excited about your relationship with Jesus?
Dear God, help me to be more excited about my faith in You than anything else in my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen!

(This devotion first appeared in devotional publication Take 5 Plus)