Nehemiah 13:30-31 (ESV Strong's)
Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work;
and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me, O my God, for good.
Truth: God remembers the good we do!
Nehemiah, on four separate occasions asks God to "remember" the good that he did. He had returned from captivity (they were in captivity because they disobeyed God) and he spent his life re-building the city walls and assisting Ezra in rebuilding the Temple. In the later time of his ministry he was dedicated to rebuilding the hearts of the people and the practical day-to-day lives of the people. For instance, Nehemiah wanted to keep the Sabbath holy. God had commanded them to do no work, so Nehemiah stopped the sale of goods on the Sabbath. God had commanded them to not marry wives from foreign lands. Nehemiah stopped this practice. In each step he made to restore the walls and worship center of the people, Nehemiah matched it that by establishing the walk of the people before God. Nehemiah new that the real work was not the symbolic brick and mortar of the buildings and the city, but the walk and step each day of their lives. This was the good work. Nehemiah prayed that God would remember this work he did. In essence Nehemiah is simply claiming the promises of God. God had told the nation (in Deuteronomy 25-28) that if they obeyed God they would be blessed. If they disobeyed God they would be cursed. Because the captivity was based upon their disobedience, it was important in the rebuilding that they obey and not return to captivity. That is why Nehemiah claims the promises of blessing for purifying the nation's practices. So, the "remember me" was not a prideful claim of, "look what I have done," but a prayer based upon the promises of God and claiming those promises. We should constantly be claiming the promises of God. That is our praise and worship to Him. It is an act of faith for us.
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