A Book Of Remembrance
1. Those That Feared The Lord And Thought Upon His Name
I hope that you are reading your Bible each day. If you read three chapters every day and add some extra chapters from time to time, maybe in the book of Psalms, you can read through the entire Bible in a year. The Lord shows me something new almost every day when I read His Word. I am now reading in the book of Deuteronomy and I have noticed the word, "remember" in several verses. I think we can glean from these verses of the Old Testament and find fruit for our lives today. I am taking my topic verse from the book of Micah which speaks of a "book of remembrance" for "those that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name." "Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name." (Malachi 3:16)
2. God's Book Of Remembrance
It is so comforting to know that the Lord remembers His own. After we look at some of the verses from the book of Deuteronomy I hope to also talk about some of the people in the Bible whom the Lord remembered. This scripture in the little book of Micah tells us that God has a book of remembrance and we shall be His, "in that day when I make up my jewels." Isn't that amazing... that God calls us His jewels! When you think on the Lord and meet with others to talk about His goodness, God hears and writes it in His book. Your church congregation may seem small today, but God sees and hears, and we will one day be a part of His jewels.
"16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." (Malachi 3:16-18)
3. Not All Memories Are Good
I like facebook because I can share these devotionals with others. Another thing I like about it is the memory feature. I often see photos of time we spent with our grandchildren, four, five, and six years ago, or more. It is great to see the pictures of when they were small and be reminded of those sweet memories. We like to remember the good memories, but it can be painful when certain memories of troubled times creep into our minds. Fourteen times in the book of Deuteronomy God tells them to remember. But, not all of the memories are good. In chapter 24 God wants them to remember Miriam. We remember Miriam, the sister of Moses, who was faithful and had the courage to wait by the river to watch over her little brother. We remember the song of Miriam, "Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea." (Exodus 15:21) We like to remember the good memories. But sometimes God also tells us to remember the bad memories and learn from them. Our example is when Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. "And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous." (Numbers 12:10) Not all memories are good, but God can use it for our good.
"8 Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.
9 Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt." (Deuteronomy 24:8-9)
4. Remember Where God Brought You From
Today we are going back to the first "Remember" in Deuteronomy. "And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." (Deuteronomy 5:15) At least four times in the book we read, "And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt,..." (Deuteronomy 15:15; 16:12; 24:18 & 22) Since God repeats this message to them several times, we can be sure that it was an important one. God is telling them to remember where He brought them from. It would do us good today to remember where God brought us from! We were slaves to sin. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23) We had no hope of salvation within ourselves. The Lord reached out on the cross with His stretched out arms, and lifted us up. Jesus made it possible that we can be reconciled to God. Jesus is the way between God and man. That should make us want to cry, shout, and sing praises to our Lord! Remember where Jesus brought you from!
5. Remember What God Has Done For You
Not only should we remember where God brought us from, but our next verse in Deuteronomy tells us that we should remember what God has done for us. "Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;" (Deuteronomy 7:18) God used great miracles in Egypt to deliver His people from the strong hand of Pharaoh. Well, I can tell you that God has used great miracles in my life. He has provided our needs and given us money to pay bills when we didn't know where the money would come from. "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) He has given us healing when we needed it most. "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3) He has given us many desires that were never spoken out loud. "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4) He has led us in the right way to go when we prayed and sought His guidance. "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) When we remember what God has done for us in the past, it can encourage us and strengthen our faith for the future.
6. Remember That Sometimes God Makes Us Wait
We are looking at the first part of Deuteronomy 8:2. "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness,..." We need to remember that sometimes God tells us, "Yes", and sometimes He tells us, "No", and at other times He makes us wait. The Israelites had to wander in the wilderness forty years. That is a long time to wait to enter God's Promised Land. Last April I wrote, "Sometimes God Makes Us Wait." I want to share a portion of that devotional today, and then, follow up.
"I took my daughter to a U-Haul place when I was helping her move, and it doubled as a furniture store. We have had our sofa and loveseat 20 years and Michael and I have talked about replacing them but I don’t enjoy shopping for big items. Well, when we stepped inside the store there was a sofa and loveseat that looked like they were made just for me. The color would go well with my room and curtains, and was on sale for a good price. That evening I told Michael about it and he told me that I could get it if I wanted it. I prayed that God would show me if it was the right thing to do the next day. After we unloaded the truck the next morning we took it back and I took time to sit on the sofa and see if it was comfortable. My daughter was telling me to get it, and I wanted to, but I realized that I had picked up little Lici to put her in the car seat and forgotten to get my pocketbook. I didn’t have money, checkbook, or credit cards with me. I remembered my prayer and decided that God was showing me that I needed to wait on the furniture. I still like the set but I am thankful that God answered my prayer. I will probably check back later, but for now, God told me to wait. Sometimes things may seem to be working out just right, when God tells us to wait. There may be something we really want, but God says to wait. God’s Word tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Several times over the past few months Michael has asked me if I wanted to go check on the furniture and each time I told him that I was still praying about it. Last November we went back to the store and they had sold the set in the store, but the sales person called the warehouse and there was another set just like it. I still didn't have peace that it was the right time. Two weeks ago God gave me peace about the purchase. I now have a new sofa and loveseat and the peace of mind that it was the right time in God's plan. Remember that sometimes God makes us wait. If you ask me how I knew that now was the right time, all I can say is that I didn't have peace about it before, and after praying about it ten months, God gave me peace of mind. You may be waiting and praying for a baby, or a job, or a house, or to find the mate God has for you. Keep praying. And remember, that sometimes God tells us to wait.
7. Remember That God Has A Purpose For Our Waiting
There was a little girl who kept asking me for something and I told her that she would have to wait. She said, "I don't have patience to wait." I told her that if that was so, then she could wait even longer and it would help her to learn how to be patient. We don't start out with patience. Babies cry because they want it "now". Even as we get older, waiting is not easy. We are looking at Deuteronomy 8:2 again today, but this time we are focusing on the last part. "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no." God told the Israelites that there were reasons they had to wait before going into The Promised Land. First of all, "to humble thee." Having to wait, does humble us. When we have to wait on reports from doctors, we are very humbled in prayer while we wait. Waiting can also prove us and strengthen our faith, as we have to put our trust in the Lord. The next phrase, "to know what was in thine heart" reminds me of relationships we have with one another. The longer we know a person, the better we get to know them. It is better not to rush into any type of relationship, marriage, business, or otherwise, until we know more of the heart of the person. Now we have come to the end of the verse. "whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no." I like the "or no" on the end. When my grandson, Benjamin, was three he would end his questions with, "or no". "Can I ride in MeMaw's car, or no?" "Can I have a cookie, or no?" Let's look at the next few verses.
"3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him." (Deuteronomy 8:3-6)
God had a purpose for their waiting. God is good. And when He tells us to wait, He is still with us. He is still watching over us and taking care of us. It is hard to wait. But, remember that God has a purpose for our waiting.
8. Remember That We Have To Wait Until Heaven For Some Rewards
We know that Moses was disappointed that he was not allowed to enter The Promised Land. But, can you imagine how much more upsetting it would have been if he had thought this life was the only life. He knew that some of our rewards don't come here on earth, but are given when we get to heaven. Faye Micjan sent me her personal devotional study and she mentions that we sometimes get rewards here on earth, and sometimes we get them in heaven. I hope you enjoy Faye's thoughts.
"Hi Beverly,
I was just reading and came across David giving instruction to his son Solomon when he was taking over as king. 1Ki 2:7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.
2Sa 17:27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
2Sa 17:28 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,
2Sa 17:29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
And when David came back into the city there was Barzillai the Gileadite conducting him over Jordan.
A true friend and help when David was in need.
2Sa 19:31 ¶ And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
2Sa 19:32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
2Sa 19:33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
2Sa 19:34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
2Sa 19:35 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
2Sa 19:36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
2Sa 19:37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.
2Sa 19:38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.
1Ki 2:7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.
Sometimes we may not get our rewards here on the earth but in heaven, (Re 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.) But sometimes we get those rewards while here on the earth because even in old age like Barzillai we are rewarded for the good things we do for our Lord and Saviour. I'm not sure how much time had elapsed in-between, but David is very old here so it must have been quite a span of time, but he remembered the good deed and reminded his son Solomon to show kindness to Barzillai family.
Thought you might like my mini Bible study as I'm reading through the Bible again.
Enjoy."
9. Remember That Your Power Comes From God
It seems that the purpose Moses had in writing the book of Deuteronomy was to charge the people to remember. We are still in chapter 8, and we need to look at the context of the scripture. Moses is telling the Israelites that when they get in the Promise Land and their life is as good and wonderful as God has promised, they need to remember that God gave them the power to receive all that He gave them. As we look around at all God has blessed us with, we too, need to be careful that we don't get lifted up in pride. You may feel like you have worked hard for all you have, but remember that your strength and power, and all that you have, comes from God. When your strength is almost gone, and you feel weak and weary, you can find help in Lord.
"28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31)
"10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.
11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day." (Deuteronomy 8:10-18)
10. Remember The Days Of Old
There is an absence of respect among many of the younger generation. They don't want to be reminded of the history of our nation. They lift themselves up in pride, and look down on the elderly. When children are raised without respect and obedience to their parents, then they don't usually have respect for any authority. This is dangerous for them, because they may reject the greatest Authority, God Almighty. Moses is coming to a close with the book of Deuteronomy. He is charging the people to remember. Remember how God brought them out of bondage in the land of Egypt. Remember the miracles. Remember how God has led them and provided for them. And for the younger ones who didn't live through those times, Moses tells them, "Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee." (Deuteronomy 32:7) Moses tells them that they have a choice between life and death. "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" (Deuteronomy 30:19)
"45 And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel:
46 And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
47 For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it." (Deuteronomy 32:45-47)
11. They Did Not Remember
I finished reading the book of Deuteronomy and we looked at many of the times when Moses told the Children of Israel to REMEMBER. If we continue our reading into the book of Joshua we see them taking possession of The Promised Land, with Joshua still leading them in the way of the Lord. Then we come to the book of Judges and it is such a heart breaking book to read. "And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:" (Judges 8:34) The people failed to remember. There is a continual cycle in the book of Judges that begins when the Israelites forgot what God had told them and served other gods. God delivered them into the hand of their enemies. They cried to the Lord, repented, and put away the strange gods and God sent a judge to deliver them. After the judge died, they went back to serving idols. Over and over and over... they "remembered not the LORD their God". This is summed up in chapter 2, and the book continues with stories of the different times they turned away from God and the judges that God used to deliver them. The book of Judges shows us how important it is for us to remember all that God tells us.
"11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way." (Judges 2:11-19)
12. They Did Not Remember His Kindness
Yesterday we saw how the Children Of Israel did not remember God's law in Judges 8:34. Today we are moving on to the next verse. "Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel." (Judges 8:35) The story of Gideon is an amazing story that shows how God can take a person living in fear, and lead him to great victory. Gideon was afraid of the Midianites, and instead of threshing his wheat in the open where the wind could blow away the chaff, he was hiding down by the winepress. (Judges 6:11) Gideon was afraid he would die after talking with the angel. (Judges 6:22-23) (Notice that he was not afraid of the false god.) He was afraid for the men of the city to see him tear down the altar of Baal in the day, so he did it at night. (Judges 6:27) Gideon asked God for a sign, and God answered his request. Gideon had 32,000 in his army, and God narrowed it down to 300 men. God told Gideon if he was still afraid to go down to the enemy camp and listen to what they were saying.
"12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host." (Judges 7:12-14)
In the middle of the night Gideon's 300 men blew their trumpets and broke the pitchers. As the air hit the torches I imagine that they burst into bright, fiery lights around the enemy camp. Then they shouted, "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon." (Judges 7:20) God had shown Gideon that the host knew of "the sword of Gideon" but Gideon wanted them to know it was in the power and might of His Lord. God gave them victory over 135,000 men. Now, back to our text, "Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel." (Judges 8:35) Even after all he had done, the people did not remember the kindness of Gideon. This may also happen in our lives. We may help others in a good way, and they may forget our kindness. Just remember, God doesn't forget your kindness and goodness. He has a Book of Remembrance!
13. "Do You Remember When?"
I have three sisters and we often text together. Sometimes one will ask, "Do you remember when...?" At that point we have a whole conversation about something that happened in our childhood. As I was thinking about writing these devotions, a song came to mind that begins, "Do you remember when...?" Michael and I sang it Wednesday night at church. I do remember when I was crying in fear about the thoughts of going to hell. I do remember asking the Lord to save me and the calmness that came over my soul at that exact moment. I also remember sitting in church years later with our first baby on my lap, and thinking that all my friends were being used by the Lord. I wanted to serve the Lord. I remember wondering if God would use someone like me. I spent several years sitting on the pew taking care of our little ones. After the children grew older I realized that God had put me right where He wanted me to be. He was using me, as the mother of our children, to bring them up to serve the Lord. Today I give Him the glory! I give Him the glory for what He have done in my heart, and in my life! I give Him the glory for using me in the way He chose for my life. I remember when... and I thank Him! "The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:10-11)
Give Him The Glory by Abigail Miller
Do you remember when, you were drowning in the sea of sin
Going down for the last time, when you called upon His name?
He reached down his nail-pierced hand, and He lifted you out
So remember where you were back then, and thank Him for where you are now
Chorus:
Give Him the Glory for what He’s done in your heart
He took you from sin and strife and gave a new start
He took your broken lifе and made you complete
So takе off those crowns of glory and cast them at the Savior’s feet
Do you remember when with all your heart you longed to serve Him?
But you didn’t think that Jesus would ever use someone like you
But look how He’s used your life, since He brought you out
So remember where you were back then, and thank him for where you are now!
Chorus
So take off those crowns of glory, and cast them at the Savior’s feet
14. "Remind Me, Dear Lord"
The older I get, and the more I have to remember, the more I forget. We saw many verses in Deuteronomy that told the people to remember God's Word. God also had directions to help them remember. We have God's Word and it is important that we read it. It will help us remember. In Deuteronomy 31:19 God told Moses to write a song. That was a way to help them remember. "Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel." I am sharing another song, to help us remember.
"4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Remind Me, Dear Lord by Dottie Rambo
1. The things that I love
And hold dear to my heart
Are just borrowed
They're not mine at all
Jesus only let me use them
To brighten my life
So remind me, remind me dear Lord
Chorus
Roll back the curtain of memory now and then
Show me where you brought me from and
Where I could have been
Just remember I'm a human and humans forget
So remind me, remind me dear Lord
2. Nothing good have I done
To deserve God's own Son
I'm not worthy of the scars
In His hands
Yet He chose the road to Calvary
To die in my stead
Why He loved me I can't understand
15. "Remember Me, O My God, For Good"
The book of Nehemiah is one of my favorite books to read. Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer in Shushan the palace. One of his brethren told him of the affliction of the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem and how the walls about the city had been torn down and the gates burned with fire. Nehemiah wept, and fasted, and prayed. We see Nehemiah's character from the beginning of the book.
"1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?" (Nehemiah 2:1-3)
He asked permission to go back and rebuild Jerusalem, and the king gave him leave. The king even gave him timber from the king's forest to build the gates and houses. Nemehiah had plenty of opposition but he stayed at the task. "They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon." (Nehemiah 4:17) We see his faithfulness, leadership, and wisdom in how he carried out the work to build the wall. We also see his stand against those who disobeyed God's Word, "And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves." (Nehemiah 13:25) Several times when Nehemiah prayed, he asked God to remember him, for good. Sometimes I also pray that prayer. When I try to do something for the Lord, and my efforts are thwarted, or I try and feel defeated, I pray, "Lord, remember me, for the good I try to do." We may feel like we fail, but the Lord sees our faithfulness.
"Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people." (5:19)
"Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof." (13:14)
"And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy." (13:22)
" And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good." (13:31)
16. God Remembered Noah
When I see a picture of Elsa, from the Frozen cartoon, I remember my granddaughter, Elsa. It's not that I have forgotten her, it's that I think of her and remember her. We remember to get up and go to church on Sunday morning. Not that we forget, we just remember. There are other times when we say that we remember, because we had previously forgotten. But, in the Bible when the Word says that "God remembered" it doesn't mean that God had forgotten. It means that He remembered! The first example that we read of in the Bible is Genesis 8:1. "And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;" Noah and his family and the animals went into the ark just as God commanded. The storms gathered all around the ark, from the windows in heaven being opened, to the fountains of the great deep rising up, but Noah and his family were safe in the ark. Finally, there was a great stillness and the rains stopped. Then one day, the sun began to shine through the small window of the great ark. And they waited. Days passed, weeks, passed. They could feel the ark sway as it floated along and knew that the waters still prevailed. Noah and his family were in the ark a long time, but they were never forgotten. God remembered them. I believe that we are headed for some hard storms, but we are safe in the Lord Jesus. Jesus will never forget His own!
17. God Remembered Abraham And Rescued Lot
When the land was not big enough for the animals of Abraham and Lot, Abraham told Lot to choose where he wanted to dwell. "Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom." (Genesis 13:11-12) When Sodom and Gomorrah grew so wicked that God was going to destroy those cities, He sent word to Abraham. "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?" (Genesis 18:23-24) God said that He would spare the place for fifty righteous. For Lot's sake, Abraham kept asking until God said that He would not destroy the city for ten righteous. There were not ten righteous in the city, but God sent the angels to rescue Lot. Look at Genesis 19:29. "And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt." God remembered Abraham, and rescued Lot. Stay faithful. You don't know how many God will rescue because of your faithfulness.
18. God Remembers Us In Our Most Earnest Pleas
I just began reading in the book of I Samuel and I came across the word "remember" in the prayer of Hannah. "And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head." (I Samuel 1:10-11) Hannah prayed for a son and promised to give him back to the Lord. Eli, the priest, told her that her prayer would be answered. Verse 19 tells us, "and the LORD remembered her." Hannah was faithful to her vow and took little Samuel to help Eli. If we look back in Genesis we see another woman who felt desperate for a child. "And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die." (Genesis 30:1) In verse 22 we see that God remembered Rachel, just as He had remembered Hannah, and gave her a son. "And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb." Both of these women were in bitterness of soul and prayed to God, and He remembered them and gave them children. God remembers us in our most earnest pleas.
19. God Remembers His Promises
There were times when I told my children that I would do something, and then a problem arose and I was not able to keep my promise. Before we had children, we were babysitting a little boy and told him that we would take him to the zoo. But, when we got up that morning it was raining and we did not get to go, and he was so disappointed. Even as adults, we get disappointed when someone has to break a promise that he, or she, made. We never need to worry about God breaking His covenant, or promises that He made. After the great flood God put a rainbow in the cloud and said that He would look at it and remember His covenant. "And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." (Genesis 9:15-16) When the Children of Israel were in bondage in the land of Egypt, God remembered His covenant and delivered them. "And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob." (Exodus 2:24) Down through the ages God has never forgotten His promises. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us to fulfill His promise. And just as He promised, He will take us to our heavenly home one day! "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:1-3)
"67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;" (Luke 1:67-72)
20. God Remembered Us In Our Low Estate
We remember the big sports figures. We remember the famous movie stars. We remember popular singers, political leaders and wealthy men and women in our country. These people have been lifted up in the sight of men. But God remembered us in our low estate. “Who remembered us in our low estate: for His mercy endureth for ever:” (Psalms 136:23) When we were nothing, God reached down and lifted us up. In His mercy, He sent His Son to die for our salvation. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:6-10) We were enemies of God, without strength or power to lift ourselves up. Psalm 130:1 says, “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.” We were lost in sin, and Jesus gave His life to save us and lift us up. We should spend all our days lifting up the name of Jesus to others.
21. Things We Won't Remember
We go through storms and trials while we live. We experience the loss of loved ones and friends. We suffer pain. When we go to heaven we will leave it all behind. God has promised to wipe away all our tears. We won't even remember our sorrow. God will wipe it from our mind. If He didn't, we would carry the sadness of our lost family and friends through eternity. We would remember our faults and failures. Anything that causes us heart break will be forgotten. God's new heaven and earth will be perfect, and all sin will be gone.
"17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying." (Isaiah 65:17-19)
"1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." (Revelation 21:1-7)
22. The Lost Will Remember
Yesterday, we saw how in heaven God will wipe away all our tears, and we will not remember the pain and sorrows of life any more. But, it will be different for those who reject God. Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus. These were the scriptures my grandfather was preaching from when I was around eight years old and the Holy Spirit convicted me. I cried at the thoughts of going to hell, and I asked Jesus to forgive me, and save me. Luke 16:25 tells us that there will be memories in hell. "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." I believe that people will remember every sermon they ever heard preached. They will remember the Bible verses they heard or read. They will remember how they "almost" asked Jesus to save them. They will remember their lost loved ones. "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment." (Luke 16:27-28) The memories and the torment will last forever and ever. If you have never trusted Jesus to save you, please don't wait until it is too late. Many believe that heaven is real. Well, hell is real, too. Jesus paid for your sin on the cross so you wouldn't have to go there. Please accept Jesus as your Savior.
"19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." (Luke 16:19-26)
