Four times in Nehemiah’s book, which records his work in Jerusalem, he prayed that God would remember him (5:19; 13:14, 22, 31). Nehemiah was continually under direct, personal attack, from both within and without. Through subtlety, intrigue, and threats of violence, the enemies of God did their best to derail him. Obviously the enemy did not want the walls of Jerusalem to be restored.

Nehemiah’s only resource was to cast himself upon God; he was doing God’s work, and the “joy of the Lord” alone was his strength (8:10). This was Nehemiah’s personal experience and thus he exhorted the people, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” He was referring to the Lord’s joy, not ours (cf. Jn. 15:11). This is sometimes misunderstood to say our joy is our strength, but our joy is a poor fickle thing. May the joy of the Lord be yours today when you feel like your strength is gone! “Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people” (5:19). Nehemiah realized that his service to God really was a service to God’s people. But in order to withstand the heat of the battle and thus help to secure the people of God, it was the Lord’s joy that strengthened and sustained him, as well as the hope that God would “remember” him for his labors.

As wonderful of a servant as Nehemiah was, our thoughts turn to another Servant. He too was sustained by joy, “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:2). And not only this. Nehemiah had asked God to “remember me,” a good prayer indeed. But Christ asked us to remember Him! On the night in which He was betrayed, He said for us to eat the bread and drink the wine “in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24, 25). Does not this appeal to our hearts? Let us think of this Servant and what He has accomplished.