God Remembers Us

 

[Nehemiah said] I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service. (Nehemiah 13:10–14 ESV).

 

There’s an old nursery rhyme about “an old woman who lived in a shoe” and who “had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.” I think Nehemiah might have felt like her. He had so many people to watch. When one group was doing well, another was behaving badly. He kept going to his knees and asking God to remember him.

 

Nehemiah was putting out fires all over Jerusalem. Each time he dealt with a new situation, he worked to make it better, and he prayed something like “Remember me for this, my God.” He could not stop people from sinning, but he could bring them before the Lord in prayer. Prayer is the only solution for many of the world’s problems.

 

By sending Jesus, who fulfilled the Old Testament law perfectly for all who believe in him, God showed that he kept his promise to make Israel a blessing to all other nations. Believing in Jesus, we can be assured that God forgives us for Jesus’ sake, crediting us with his righteousness (cf. Romans 3). That’s all we have when we think about it. So, we pray continually for his help, that in his strength we may honor God in all we do.

 

When we pray, we know that God controls the world, loves us, and promises to work in and through us. We trust that God will bring glory out of terrible situations, because he alone can do it. Daily, then, let’s remember the one true God, who holds the whole world in his hands and saves us!