Remember Me, O My God
1. We Can Ask The Lord To Remember Us
2. Nehemiah’s First Prayer
3. In Opposition, Remember The Lord
4. Nehemiah Cries, “Remember Me, O My God, For Good”
5. Remember Them
6. Remember That Time When…?
7. God Is With Me
8. Remember Our Heritage
9. Remember
10. She Hath Done What She Could
11. God Remembers Us With Showers Of Blessing
12. God’s Book Of Remembrance
13. God Remembered Us In Our Low Estate
14. God Remembers His Covenant With A Rainbow
15. God Remembered The Gentiles
1. We Can Ask The Lord To Remember Us
I have been praying that God would lead me to our next devotional series. When I went into church to clean Saturday, I hit the wrong numbers and set off the alarm. I immediately called Michael and he told me to keep putting in the correct code, which I did and the security call came while I was still on the phone with him. This was after a morning filled with little things that seemed to go wrong. Michael had a heart cath on Thursday and I was trying to do all the things that he usually helped me do. As I vacuumed, I prayed the prayer of Nehemiah, “Remember me, O my God, for good.” (Nehemiah 13:31) When I feel like I am trying to do the best I can, and I still feel like I’m failing, I often pray these words, “Remember me, O my God, for good.” Our Lord never forgets us, but sometimes we want to draw a little closer to the Lord and we can call on Him to remember us. Let’s find some examples in the Bible when people cried out to God to remember them.
2. Nehemiah’s First Prayer
After Jerusalem was destroyed the Jewish people were taken captive to Babylon. Nehemiah talked with men of Judah and they told him that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates were burned down. Nehemiah wept and mourned, and fasted and prayed. We see his first prayer in Nehemiah 1:5-11. He asked God to remember his promise to Moses, that if they sinned and were cast out of their own nation, and they turned back to God, He would gather them back to their promised land. If we sin and turn away from God, we can pray, and trust God that He will always remember His promises.
“5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.”
3. In Opposition, Remember The Lord
Artaxerxes the king gave Nehemiah permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. Nehemiah went around to see the damage done to the walls of the city at night, and then he encouraged the people to build the walls. “Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.” (Nehemiah 2:18) The people worked side by side to repair the walls. They faced opposition by ridicule, by anger, and by discouragement. Nehemiah encouraged them to remember the Lord. When we are going through trials we can remember how the Lord has been with us in the past, and know that He will be with us in the present. We can say like Nehemiah, “our God shall fight for us.”
“And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 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.
18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.” (Nehemiah 4:14-20)
4. Nehemiah Cries, “Remember Me, O My God, For Good”
Nehemiah and the people worked and finished the wall, and the people gathered as Ezra the priest read the Law of Moses. They restored the Feast of Tabernacles and made booths out of tree branches and sat under the booths with great gladness. Nehemiah’s work was not done. In the last chapter, they read in the book of Moses that the people were to be a separate people, so they separated the mixed multitude. Nehemiah cleansed the temple and had the people restore the offerings for the Levites. I like his boldness. “Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.” (Nehemiah 13:11) And he prayed, “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.” (Nehemiah 13:14) He stopped the people from breaking the laws of the Sabbath. “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.” (Nehemiah 13:22) The book closes with his last “remember”. “And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.” (Nehemiah 13:31) I don’t know how many times I have been discouraged or downhearted, when I tried so hard to do what I thought was the right thing to do, and it didn’t seem to help the situation. I offer my feeble prayer, “Remember me, O my God, for good.” In these last days, when we try to stand for God and the battle between right and wrong is all around us, we must stand for the faith. We can cry out to the Lord just as Nehemiah did, “Remember me, O my God, for good.”
5. Remember Them
I skipped over one of Nehemiah’s “Remember” prayers in the book because it is a little different. The Israelites were commanded not to marry people of certain nations. He reminded them how King Solomon had gone after the gods of the wives he married from other lands. “Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.” (Nehemiah 13:26) In verse 29 we read, “Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.” Proverbs 15:3 reminds us, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” It may seem like the wicked get by with all they do, but God sees them. Psalm 73 reminds us that even though people may seem to prosper in their wickedness, God sees everything. Look at v erse 11, “And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the most High?” And verse 17 is the turning point of the writer, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.”
“1 <<A Psalm of Asaph.>> Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.” (Psalm 73:1-20)
6. Remember That Time When…?
Our title is a question and the devotion is actually a question. When our Grandson Micah was 4 or so, he asked, “Do you remember that time when I…?” and he started laughing. I did remember, but he was only 2 or 3 when it happened so I was surprised that he remembered. I enjoy being with our family when someone will ask, “Do you remember that time when…?” The discussions are really fun as they continue to tell stories of happy times from the past. My Mom and sisters are on a texting group and it is fun when we remember happy times together. My thoughts on remembering led me to this question, Do you think when we get to heaven the Lord will ask us if we remember ways that we served Him? And then tell us what happened next? “Do you remember the time you gave your lunch to the homeless person that was sitting in your office parking lot?” “Do you remember that time you gave $20 to the young mother holding the baby in the grocery line?” “Do you remember the gospel tract you gave to the check out person at the store?” Have you ever felt the Lord urging you to do something for Him and then you wondered what happened afterwards? The Apostle Paul explains that some sow the seed, and others water, but God gives the increase. It will be interesting to see how God used our small parts in the salvation and lives of others. Remember the positive times when you reached out in service for your Lord. “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41)
“6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 3:6-11)
7. God Is With Me
When Matt was 3 he began to be afraid of the dark. We taught him that God is always with him and helped him learn this little verse. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Psalm 56 verse 3.” It helped him to learn that God is always with us. Psalm 56 is a wonderful Psalm that reminds us that God is with us during hard times. David tells us that God cares so much for us, He keeps our tears. “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” (Psalm 56:8)
“1 <<To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.>> Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
10 In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (Psalm 56)
8. Remember Our Heritage
In 1976 Gospel Baptist Church wrote and performed a play for the 200th anniversary for our nation. I was happy to be a part of that endeavor. It is hard to believe that was 50 years ago, and that young teenager is now a great-grandma. I am thankful that the Lord let me be born and raised in America, and even more gracious that He let me be born in a Christian family. My parents and grandparents were faithful to church and raised me up in church. “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” (Psalm 16:6) God has blessed America and it is sad to see the hate and sinfulness in our country. We need to remember our heritage, and pray for our country. We need to pray for our leaders. We need to stand for what’s right.
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (I Timothy 2:1-6)
9. Remember Me
I think the most familiar cry of, “Remember me”, to the Lord Jesus was made from the cross. When the people mocked Jesus and said, “If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.” Jesus could have saved Himself, but He chose to die to save those who believe. Jesus saved the man on the cross, and He saved me! You can be saved. Accept the truth that you have sinned and believe on Jesus, the Son of God who died to save you. Confess your sin to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and He will save you. Our verse today is Luke 23:42, “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
“36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:36-43)
10. She Hath Done What She Could
I hope you had a safe July 4th. We had some of our grandchildren with us. Christopher and Nate tried to play basketball, but it was 100 degrees at the basketball goal, so they didn’t stay out very long. I had planned to pick green beans, but there weren’t enough to bother. It was over 106 in the full sunlight in the garden, and the temps were still going up. I put some crayons on white cardboard to see which colors would melt first, but I waited too long and they were all melted except for the white, yellow and a pink when I went back to check. I was trying to show the grandchildren that light colors reflect light and dark colors absorb the heat, so they would know to wear light colors on hot days. (There may be a devotional there somewhere on how light reflects the Light.) We found things for them to play inside the house. The boys wanted to decorate a cake and they made a pretty flag with cool whip, strawberries, and blueberries. We could hear fireworks in the neighborhood and went out to watch them a little while. We did what we could, and the Lord gave us a good time together. After they went home Sunday, I thought about the time we spent together, and I almost spoke out loud, “Well, I did what I could.” I also think that when I go to the garden. I ask the Lord to bless the garden and my efforts each time I go down there and think, “I have done what I could.” I believe that is all God expects from us. To do what we can. God knows that we can’t control the weather. There are many things in my life that I can’t control, but I try to do what I can. When we kneel before our Lord at the end of this life, I don’t think we will be judged on what we couldn’t do. But, we may be judged on not doing what we could have done. Sometimes the things we do may not seem like much, but even little things can be remembered. After Mary anointed Jesus before the crucifixion, Jesus said, “She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.” (Mark 14:8) We can’t offer such a great sacrifice to our Lord, but we can try our best to do what we can. And Jesus will remember.
11. God Remembers Us With Showers Of Blessing
I began this devotional series praying as Nehemiah, “Remember me, O my God, for good.” Today I want to thank Him for remembering us with blessings. The temperatures over the weekend reached over 100 degrees. The weather had been dry for some time. God blessed us with two rain showers on Sunday and more rain on Monday. Today I am praising the Lord for remembering me with His blessing. We picked a few beans to can and some cucumbers and tomatoes. We serve a loving God who remembers us with showers of blessings. “And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.” (Ezekiel 34:26)
12. God's Book Of Remembrance
We have been talking about asking God to remember us. If I met someone famous, I might remember it, but most likely that person would not remember me. It is so comforting to know that the Lord remembers His own. “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. 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.” (Malachi 3:16-17) This scripture in the little book of Malachi 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 His children 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.
13. 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.
“6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 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.
14. God Remembers His Covenant With A Rainbow
When God sent His judgment on the earth with the flood, He didn’t forget about Noah and the animals in the ark. Genesis 8:1 tells us, “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;” After the flood God put a rainbow in the sky as a token of His covenant that He would not destroy the earth by flood again. I used to think that God put the rainbow in the sky so we could look up at it and remember His promise. In Genesis 9:15-16 God says, “I will remember my covenant… and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature…” The rainbow is very special! Every time we look at a rainbow, we know that God is looking down at the same rainbow to remember His covenant. Isn’t that wonderful! We look up towards heaven and God looks down towards earth, and the rainbow of His covenant is fixed between us.
“12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 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.
16 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 9:12-16)
15. God Remembered the Gentiles
Our closing devotional on asking the Lord to remember us is very important. It reminds us that we were not part of God’s chosen people, but God remembered us! Jesus came to die for everyone that would come to Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:11-13
God has blessed America. Many times, as Americans, we are prejudiced against other nationalities and peoples. But we need to remember, that we are Gentiles. God gave His covenants to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and His promises to His chosen people. We were strangers and aliens without hope and without God in the world. But Christ came, and died, that we might live. Let us continue in Ephesians 2:18-19, “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Without Christ we are nothing. But through Christ, we have access by the Spirit to God. Don’t let your citizenship of this country make you feel all high and mighty. Be thankful that Christ died so that you could obtain citizenship into Heaven, the kingdom of God. Remember that you were nothing when God brought you out and lifted you up. And it is only by His mercy and marvelous grace that He gives unto us salvation. I am so thankful that God remembered me!
