From Promise To Praise
Praise the Lord. Jesus overcame death, paid our debts, and meets us in our doubts, declaring peace for each day. Blessed are those who believe before they see.
“All Israel was…taken captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. Now the first to resettle…were some Israelites, priests, Levites and temple servants. In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar was the official in charge of the gatekeepers, and the Lord was with him. They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the Lord—the house called the tent of meeting…entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries in the house of God. They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning.” 1 Chronicles 9:1-27
Always remember God’s original plan is for us to be His people and for Him to be our God. Think of the Garden of Eden, where we walk and dwell with Him. Paradise and the promised land were lost by the unfaithfulness of the people, but God had a plan. Like the people of old, it is important to know that even when we get off track, God makes a way back.
The text described the gatekeepers. More than just opening or closing doors, the gatekeepers were servants of God who helped others gain access to the presence of God. They were in charge each morning of opening the door so others could experience God and worship Him.
A gatekeeper can either help or hinder those who want to encounter God. A gatekeeper can keep people out or invite them in. In one way or another, each of us has the keys to the kingdom and can open doors as we share about the empty tomb. How will you help others encounter Jesus? How will you share the good news that Jesus is alive?
“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.” Psalms 47:1-7
Have you ever passed by someone who was singing? What was your reaction? You almost cannot help but smile and start singing or humming a tune too. Songs of joy bring joy to others. Will you sing a song praising the Son of God? Will others hear the love in your heart?
David is anything but quiet about his quest to honor God. He said clap your hands and sing praises. Not once, but five times, David said sing praises. It is almost as if David cannot help himself. He is so overjoyed by the goodness of God that he has to sing. Is that how you feel? Is your heart full of joy, and are your lips ready to praise His name? Why or why not?
“If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest…Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. and fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming who can tell someone else what will happen after them? The toil of fools wearies them; they do not know the way to town. Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks. A feast is made for laughter”
Ecclesiastes 10:4-19
Solomon gave sage advice in this chapter. If you think about your role in the kingdom of God as a gatekeeper, how important is it to stay at your post? We live in a very reactionary world where people bounce from one thing to the next very quickly. How well can you operate as a gatekeeper if you are quick to leave at the first sign of fear or fatigue?
Solomon said to stay calm and avoid doing things that can cause you harm. What is the number one reason we do not stay calm? Most would say fear. Is anything making you anxious today? He said fools multiply words and make life difficult for themselves. He said laziness and idle hands lead to leaks. You have a role to play in praising God and helping other people know Jesus.
If you reflect on Solomon’s advice, are there any ways in which your words, plans, or actions have harmed rather than helped your ability to share the love of Jesus with others? Are there any times you have talked too much instead of listening or any ways in which you have been apathetic rather than actively serving others?
“The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave…I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds…they will serve the Lord their God…So do not be afraid…I will surely save you…Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. I am with you and will save you,’ declares the Lord…I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord…From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing…Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me— for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?…So you will be my people, and I will be your God.” Jeremiah 30:3-22
Never forget that God gives us hope in the midst of our hardest times. This message was not spoken to people who felt free and were unafraid. God’s message of restoration and redemption was given to people who had been exiled and could not see a path to peace or prosperity. What are you going through today? Where do you need more hope?
The message God gives is not a promise of a pain-free life. He does not tell them that He would make the world perfect or suddenly make their enemies nice. The text says that our King will come from among us. Jesus stepped into our world and knows what we are going through. He sees our doubts and knows our pain.
His promise is His presence. He is God with us. He said I will be your God and you will be my people. I am with you, I am for you, and I will save you. His promise is peace that surpasses understanding and healing that can make us whole again. At the time, all these were received as words of hope, but we have the good fortune of knowing that hope has a name.
Like David, there is only one righteous response when we encounter the love of God and experience His presence. Rejoicing. Praise. Exalting the Almighty. The text says that songs of thanksgiving and sounds of rejoicing will flow like a river among the redeemed. Has your redemption led you to rejoicing?
Praise is not meant to be an afterthought. Praise, worship, and glorifying God should be priority number one. Is praising God a priority for you? The Hebrew word for rejoicing means continual, constant, without end. Will there be a reason why you stop rejoicing today?
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb…He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”…the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear…Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord…Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Now Thomas…was not with the disciples when Jesus came…he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe…Jesus came…Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:1-29
We are all gatekeepers of hope. We arrive at an empty tomb and see that God has already rolled the stone away. He fulfilled the promises we heard in Jeremiah by sending His Son to break the chains of sin and death. There is good news. Jesus is alive! He has risen! Can you think of this and not rejoice?
Mary cries because she was focusing on what she had lost and could not see Jesus right in front of her. Fear and offense had a firm grip on her heart. Her perspective kept her from seeing what was right in front of her. The Risen King. How often do we make everything about our experience and miss what God has already done and wants to do in the present moment? We see an empty tomb and think it is another setback. We see our own inability to stop the brokenness of the world and think things will never get better, but with God, broken bodies become miraculous breakthroughs.
Nothing can stop God’s plans from prevailing. The exile could not keep God from bringing people back, and the power of the Roman Empire could not stop the good news of Jesus’ resurrection from spreading. God promised restoration and healing, so restoration and healing happened. David could not stop singing because God never stops working. He is awesome and undefeated. We rejoice because God resurrects and reigns forever.
Jesus was not resurrected because the disciples were perfect, nor was He resurrected by their strength. So often we worry that we are not doing what God wants or are afraid of what is to come. God’s plans do not depend on our perfection but on His power. We fall short every day, but as we make room for the Holy Spirit to inhabit our hearts by devoting our lives and freely forgiving others, we receive more of the promise of His presence.
Solomon said to stay at your post and stay calm. Always be prepared to share the reason you have hope. Jesus proclaimed peace to us so that we might bring peace to others. Note how He immediately told the disciples to forgive. It is difficult to sing songs of joy while holding on to offense. The disciples could not share good news if they were holding a grudge, and neither can we. God wants to free us to a life of rejoicing found in the gratitude that comes from seeing what He has done and is doing.
You have a choice. You can be like Mary and miss the meaning of the tomb, you can doubt like Thomas and want every detail, or you can praise like David. Regardless of your response, God will meet you where you are. He just wants you to know that life is a lot more enjoyable if you learn to believe before you see.
So open the door to your heart and find peace through forgiveness. Open your mouth and let out your loudest hallelujah. Open your eyes and see that the tomb is empty. Then open your hands and ask God how you can help others find the hope you have found in Jesus Christ.