We work hard for our families and to bring more life and goodness into the world. But sometimes we wonder if it’s all worth it. Does God even see? And does it matter if he does? With Nehemiah, we often cry out with desperate hearts for God to remember the good we’ve done and to bless us for it.
To be sure, God has called us each to advance a portion of his kingdom in this world. This is a call we readily accept and we feel utterly compelled to answer. We’re living by faith and we’re confident we’re doing the work God has given us to do.
But some days are dark. We don’t understand God’s timeline and why he opens some doors while others remain closed. And we’re often left wondering why we’ve been called to make certain sacrifices and go through the things we’ve been through.
In the end, we don’t want our labor to be in vain and so we plead for God to remember us. Of course, we know God will not forget us – that not one sparrow falls to the ground without his knowledge and that the very hairs on our head are all numbered.
But in our humanity we still want to know that God sees our many efforts and will bless us accordingly. This goes beyond our polished and often whitewashed theology, to our deep and honest desires to simply know that all our efforts are worth it.
And, in fact, this is often a sign of our faith. We’re not asking to be remembered by others – making a name for ourselves as it were. We’re asking the living God to remember us favorably according to his great and unfailing love. It’s his blessing that we seek even as we ask time and time again for him to remember us.
God sees and remembers all your many acts of faith. And he will bless you for it. But it’s still okay to pray and even beg him to remember you. This keeps your eyes focused on the only one who is able to give you a true and lasting reward.
Photo by Yosi Prihantoro on Unsplash
