Posted by: Sherm Nichols on Wed, Aug 18, 2010
I keep a journal. It’s now over 13 years old, nearly 600 pages long; a running account of my life, my conversations with God, praises, struggles, ponderings, occasional whining, and moments of “Aha!” No one else reads my journal. As long as I’m alive, that’s not what it’s for. For now, it’s a part of my pursuit of a God Who is always pursuing me.
I guess one of the things I like about the book of Nehemiah is the way it reads like a journal. I can read it and know some historical details, some of Nehemiah’s feelings, the spiritual climate around him, and even the way he relates his life to God. It’s all there – highs and lows, deep and shallow, fascinating and blasé. And near the end of the book especially, there is this chronicling of actions Nehemiah took. The details given are actually pretty brief when you study them. “I also learned…So I rebuked the officials…Then I called them together…I put [them] in charge…” (13:10-13) In a few words, Nehemiah is accounting for hours and hours of work, some of it pretty intense and taxing. You can tell this when he follows it up in v14: “Remember me for this, O my God…” That phrase occurs a few more times before the end of the book, and it also ends the book. Remember me, God. It’s almost like he’s writing it to make sure that there’s a record of it somewhere. Nehemiah doesn’t want his hard work to just be forgotten.
What, does God need reminding? Of course not! But I can relate to the sentiment behind Nehemiah’s words. It’s the same line of reasoning in Ecclesiastes that has Solomon gravely reviewing life’s futilities. What’s the point of it all if I throw my effort and emotion into doing what’s right only to find that it means nothing when it’s all said and done? O, God, remember! Remember! Make a note of what I’m doing here! Don’t let my life be in vain!
Sure, there are a lot of things about me that I rather wish God would forget. He says He will. I’m not exactly sure how he does that, but I’m thankful for it. On the other hand, there are things between Him and me that I want Him to remember. The good news today is: He will. The writer of Hebrews wanted to encourage his readers not to give up: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Hebrews 6:10, NIV)
Don’t lose heart, even if no one else remembers “that good thing you did.” God saw it, and God remembers it! Keep living the kind of life that you want God to notice, and keep praying the kind of prayer that accompanies that.
O, God, remember!
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