Remember me, O my God, for good. (Nehemiah 13:31)
We seem to want to do things in life in a way that will be remembered by family and friends, our professional cohorts, or the general populace, particularly politicians who wish to get reelected, or by definition, have their egos stroked.
In reality, there’s a small chance that even our children will remember a few things that standout, but beyond that, without giving millions of dollars, no one will recall your name, much less put it on a building or a road. If you’re in elected office, there’s always the opportunity to erect your own commemorative statue to ensure someone is reminded of your selfless public service. Kings in Nehemiah’s day were fond of doing that.
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six 1cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3:1)
But Nehemiah only cared about being remembered by the Lord, as should we. Four times in Chapter 13 he pleads with God to remember him (verses 14, 22, 29, 31), for protecting His house, that he might extend him compassion for the “pounds of flesh” he had to exact from those who were unruly or antagonistic, especially those who engaged in mixed marriages, and that in the end, his efforts would be counted as “good” in his eyes.
There’s another famous “remember me” in God’s word, uttered by the thief on the cross, who had hardly a chance of doing a good deed, “And he was saying, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!’” (Luke 23:42)
Only one person needs to remember you “for good” in the end, the incarnate son of God, Jesus. Through belief, your name will be etched permanently into the Book of Life.
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