Remember Me, O God, For Good

God is omniscient, right? He knows everything. As his adopted son and faithful servant, surely he knows who I am, remembers my deeds, and couldn’t possibly forget that I exist. And yet, throughout the Old Testament, saints often pleaded with Almighty God for him to remember them and their deeds. Samson pleaded with God to remember him and his deeds and to grant him one last feat of strength to honor God. David prayed in Psalm 25 that God forget the sins of his youth and remember him “for goodness sake”. The most notable occurrence, though, is probably Nehemiah, who made this odd plea to God on four separate occasions.

Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people. (Neh 5:19)

Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services. (Neh 13:14)

For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your loving kindness. (Neh 13:22)

Remember me, O my God, for good. (Neh 13:31)

For whatever reason, Nehemiah was adamant that God remember his actions and deeds, which he had done for God and for His people Israel. Nehemiah was a great leader, but when you read the book of Nehemiah, you will find that he made some difficult decisions and did things that were not always popular. He was charged with a nearly impossible task and faced great opposition to that task. Yet, he remained faithful to his calling until it was complete. It is evident from his actions that he was more concerned that he be found faithful in God’s eyes than to be remembered or acknowledged by man. As such, his intentions and motives were pure.

I often wonder how pure my motives really are. I wonder how often Christians do good deeds solely because we want to be noticed by man. By nature, I would suspect that many of us are somewhat selfish. Recently, I had a realization in my own spiritual life. I realized that I still needed man’s approval regarding the works that I was doing for God. That is not to say that I was only doing them for human recognition, but rather to say that I still sought out human confirmation that my efforts were satisfactory. It’s only natural, right? We want people to be happy with out work. We appreciate and often thrive on the accolades. Such things are not completely wrong. After all, worldly feedback is one means that God uses to confirm that we are on the right track. However, we shouldn’t be actively seeking out that confirmation as a means of making ourselves feel better. When we do that, we have crossed some imaginary line into an area where we are seeking to be man-pleasers rather than God-pleasers. I can’t help but recall the lyrics to an old Petra song I used to listen to when I was a teenager (yes, more CCM theology):

“Don't wanna be a manpleaser - I wanna be a Godpleaser
I just want to have the wisdom to discern the two apart
Don't wanna be a manpleaser - I wanna be a Godpleaser
I just want to do the things that please the Father's heart”

Here’s a test as to whether or not your actions and motivations are pure. Ask yourself this question: How would you feel if no one on earth ever remembered a single thing you ever did for God or, for that matter, for anyone else. Ecclesiastes 9:15 records an instance in which a poor man saved an entire city through his wisdom, and yet no one remembered who he was or how he had done what he did. In the 18th Century, Thomas Grey wrote a poem titled “Elegy Written in a Country Courtyard”. Within it are some familiar words that say:

“Full many a flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.”

What if that were the calling for our lives? What if our lot in life were to toil in nameless, faceless, monotony? Would we still be willing to follow him in obedience? Thomas Grey’s poem ends by quoting a grave epitaph that reads as follows:

“Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth
A youth to Fortune and Fame unknown.
Fair Science frowned not on his humble birth,
And Melancholy marked him for her own.

Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,
Heaven did a recompense as largely send.
He gave to Misery all he had, a tear,
He gained from Heaven (‘twas all he wish’d) a friend.

No farther seek his merits to disclose,
Or draw his frailties from their dread abode
(There they alike in trembling hope repose),
The bosom of his Father and his God.”

God sees, and notices, every flower that blossoms. How wonderful it is to know that he also sees, and remembers the deeds that we do in His name. Too often we forget that. Perhaps it was not for God’s sake that Nehemiah asked to be so remembered. Perhaps it was to remind himself for whom he was toiling – to remind him that, despite the hardship, his efforts were not in vain.

Remember me, O God, for the good that I do in your name.