Nehemiah 13:14 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.
Be Mindful of God
Recently, my family and I toured some of our old family sites where my maternal grandparents once lived in South Dakota. We saw many places that are literally nothing more than a clean field or a blank prairie today. The little church where my grandparents met looks abandoned in its place off a little-travelled dirt road. One spot where Grandpa once worked is literally a ghost town today. Sometimes you may feel like a forgotten place. You may feel as abandoned as a ghost town that no one knows or cares about. This often happens when we are doing what is right. We are usually in the majority when we are living for self, but when we follow God and do what is right it can be lonely.
I am sure that Nehemiah often felt this way. He had gone back to what was much like a ghost town, Jerusalem. The people were gone, and those who did come back to help Nehemiah rebuild were just a small portion of the people who could have returned from exile.
I’m sure that Nehemiah felt very much alone. To complicate matters, even the group that did come back to help Nehemiah do a good thing were far from God in many ways. They seemed to have forgotten God’s judgment, laws, and commands. Over and again, Nehemiah saw things that were not right among God’s people and took decisive action to make it right. I am sure this wore him down, and emotionally it must have been exhausting.
Numerous times in the last chapter of Nehemiah, 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 was saying, “God, I have done what is right, so, please remember me. Don’t forget me.” That is a bold way to pray!
When Nehemiah felt like the whole world was against him, he brought his cares to God. He realized that God was the One Who is in control. Nehemiah was mindful of God.
Those who are mindful of God are not as apt to feel forgotten by Him. The more we are aware of God’s presence, the more we are aware that God is aware of us. God has not abandoned you. God has never forgotten you. He will guide you. Think on God today, and realize that He is present.