“But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.”
– Psalm 3:3
“Celebrations are so crucial to our spiritual life. The very act of celebrating anchors us in a deeper story—one that precedes any current hardship or pain. God’s narrative goes back to the Garden when He formed us from the dust and called us into a loving relationship with each other and with Him. It continued when Jesus became flesh and assumed all of our sin and brokenness so that we could enjoy fellowship with the Trinity. It will culminate in, yes, a celebration—the wedding feast of Christ with His bride, the Church.” – Greco, Dorothy
I hope you took time to celebrate yesterday even if it was over the little things in life. Celebration does so much for our heart and souls. Celebration can produce joy and laughter, becoming an incredible way to help comfort the weary heart. Celebration is evident in the bible from Miriam the prophet rejoicing by singing, dancing and making music after Pharaoh’s horses and chariots were crushed into the sea (Exodus 15:20), from David leaping and dancing before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:12-15). Jesus celebrated with Levi (Matthew), when he was called to follow Jesus, they celebrated and had a feast (Luke 5:27-32). We must continue to celebrate!
“Celebration gives us the strength to live in all the other Disciplines. When faithfully pursued, the other Disciplines bring us deliverance from those things that have made our lives miserable for years which, in turn, evokes increased celebration. Thus, an unbroken circle of life and power is formed.” – Foster, 201
Celebration can produce joy. Sometimes you have to actively pursue that joy in order to find strength. Sometimes joy isn’t simply present but is waiting for you to seek God and ask him to show you his true joy. When we choose to celebrate we aren’t choosing to be happy about the circumstance that is causing us pain, but choosing to celebrate the good that does surround us. When we pursue the joy of the Lord it is when we find strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
“Though tears may fall
My song will rise, my song will rise to You
Though my heart may fail
My song will rise, my song will rise to You
While there’s breath in my lungs
I will praise You, Lord”
In an interview with Ali & Gareth Gilkeson, members of Rend Collective, they explain they “believe that choosing joy and choosing to celebrate despite the circumstance is exactly what gives us strength to sustain us through them,” through the circumstance. They didn’t write this song simply because it was catchy but it is what they live out in their day to day life, Gareth Gilkeson continues to say we prove “the fact that the scripture is true and we put it into practice. We choose joy, faith and trust rather than cynicism.” They believe and live out the truths that they declare. Watch this 2 minute video about how they had to choose joy in the midst of a difficult time in their life.
What will you choose to celebrate today, even though the tears may fall, even though you may not be able to see or feel God today, will you choose to let your praises of celebration rise to him? Celebrate.
Shalom,
Ashley
- Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. New York, NY:
HarperCollins Publishers, 1978. - Greco, Dorothy, “Celebration Is a Spiritual Discipline” https://relevantmagazine.com…October
20, 2014. Web. May 18, 2020.
Rosslyn Academy Devotionals 