In the Book

Malachi 3:16–18 NKJV

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name. 17 “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.” 18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

Have you ever had someone surprise you with an achievement or recognition for something that you did not know they knew? Sometimes it is easy to feel overlooked or missed when you are doing good and it seems like no one sees it. What we don’t realize is that through our choices and actions we are writing a story about our lives and what we value and what we stand for and what we believe.

Have you ever heard the story of Max Jukes?

Illustration: Jonathan Edwards and Max Jukes. Jonathan Edwards, one of the greatest minds that God has given America, lived in the state of New York. He was a Christian and believed in Christian training. He married a girl of like character. From this union men have studied 729 descendants. Of this number came 300 preachers, 65 college professors, 13 university presidents, 60 authors of good books, 3 United States congressmen, and one vice president of the United States; and barring one grandson who married a questionable character, the family has not cost the state a single dollar.

Max Jukes lived in the same state. He did not believe in Christian training. He married a girl of like character. From this union men have studied 1,026 descendants. Three hundred of them died prematurely. One hundred were sent to the penitentiary for an average of 13 years each. One hundred ninety were public prostitutes. There were 100 drunkards. The family cost the state $1,200,000. They made no helpful contribution to society. <cite>Leonard Ravenhill, America Is Too Young To Die</cite>

Last week we talked about strengthening ourselves in the Lord by building memorials to what He has done. Today, I want to talk to you about the memorials that you are building of your life of faith.

It is important that we understand that what we do matters. How we live our lives, the choices we make, the words we speak. All of it.

One day stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ where these things will be tested in order for us to give an account for them and to determine the type of reward we will receive (1 Corinthians 3.13, 1 Peter 1.7). This means that at the end of it all what we do matters.

Amazingly, God has given us the ability to choose how we will respond to the ups and downs of life. How we leverage our gifts, talents, and abilities.

Not only will our works speak into eternity, they leave a story of our life as a memorial to those who follow after us. The good news is that we can partner with God to write the story that others will read instead of letting our story be written for us by others.

Deciding the Story That We Tell

When I was doing cold weather training in the mountains of Bridgeport California we were doing a march up the mountain to do training. We had 120lbs on our backs. We pulled sleds up the hill with our crew served weapons. It was freezing cold. Snow everywhere. Already during the training I had been involved in an accident that nearly broke my face. At one point near the beginning of the march everything began to pile up. I was a short timer - due to get out of the Marine Corps in about 5 months. I hate the cold. I missed my family. I was dealing with some knucklehead Marines attitudes. It just so happened that I looked down and saw a patch of ice coming up. For a moment I thought to myself that an easy way out would be to slip and fall and “hurt” my knee so that I couldn’t go up the hill. That thought lingered. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let a lie determine the outcome of my story. I might have fallen and missed training due to injury and others might have seen and believed that. But I would have known that it was a fake narrative. If I had carried it out I would have failed to complete training because I quit. In truth it wouldn’t have been the injury that was to blame but my choice to quit.

We can’t control circumstances or other people. But it seems to be human nature to that our default response is to point to them as to the reason we aren’t getting ahead or doing better or even doing the right things.

We can look at people or circumstances as obstacles or barriers to our success. When we do that we become limited because we are always looking at what we can’t do.

And when you are always confronted with what you can’t do it is hard to be motivated to do anything. And it also allows us to shift blame or accountability away from us so that we aren’t the problem (like an injury vs a decision to quit).

We can decide what story we tell with our lives and what the memorial of our deeds will be. We do this by being intentional in choosing how we live.

When we write our story by partnering with God we choose the legacy we leave behind and the quality of reward we receive (1 Corinthians 3.10-15).

Our lives are a memorial—for good or for bad—to those who follow us both now and into eternity (Revelation 14.13, 1 Corinthians 10.11).

Preparing Our Memorial

The story of Mordecai the uncle of Esther offers us insight into how we can write our story and prepare our memorial.

Our Works Are Recorded

Esther 2:21–23 NKJV

21 In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name. 23 And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

In the life of Mordecai we see that his acts to save the king was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

In the book of Malachi we learned that our works are kept in the book of remembrance in the presence of God.

Our works are recorded and our deeds are remembered. Let us therefore choose to do good works and be remembered for our life of faith and Christian character.

Illustration: Exercise in writing your obituary and working towards it in life.

When you are tempted for good or for bad remember that your works are being recorded and consider what story you want your life to tell.

Our Works Are Remembered

Esther 6:1–3 NKJV

1 That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3 Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”

A certain amount of time had passed and there was no promotion nor recognition nor anything regarding Mordecai’s good works. One night the king asks for the books to be read and the memorial of Mordecai is read to him.

Mordecai doesn’t know this. He didn’t expect this. He had probably figured that this was in his past and forgot all about it. But at the right time, he was remembered.

It may feel like the good things we do may not matter or make a difference but there is a time where they will be recalled and remembered by God.

God knows what you have done. Even when it seems like you have been passed over or forgotten do not lose heart for you are not forgotten by God (Isaiah 44.21)!

Our Works Are Rewarded

Esther 6:4–11 NKJV

4 So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 The king’s servants said to him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6 So Haman came in, and the king asked him, “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought in his heart, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7 And Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’ ” 10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king’s gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken.” 11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”

Our works are recorded and at the right time they are remembered and ultimately they are rewarded.

Even though Haman had planned to rob Mordecai (of his life and blessing) he still got his reward from the king.

Reward is connected to faith (Hebrews 11.6). Therefore choose to do works worthy of a good reward.

Conclusion

Mordecai had his name and his deeds recorded in the book of the king. At the right time he was remembered and then rewarded for the good works that he did. And that story remains to this day as a memorial to him.

God had a book of remembrance opened in His presence. In it was recorded the acts of the saints who feared His name and worked in righteousness. Like Mordecai let us leave a story behind that shows good works that point people to a faithful God (cf. Matthew 5.14-16).

Ultimately we will leave a story, a memorial, of the blessing and power of a life of faith. And after our works are tested, we ourselves will receive an exceeding great reward (Genesis 15.1).

Prompt: Altar

There is a book of remembrance that is the most important book in the library of Heaven. It’s called the Lamb’s Book of Life. Anyone whose name is in that book will find that their sins are remembered no more but only their works of faith and devotion will remain. Those whose names are in that book will receive an eternal reward. Those whose names are not in that book will receive eternal loss (Revelation 20.11-15).

Is your name in that book? Is your life of faith and good works captured on its pages as a memorial and testimony?

Someday the king will open the books and remember the deeds of His people and hand out rewards.

The best work is the first work — trusting in Jesus the Lamb of God (Revelation 2.5, John 1.29). From there we write our eternal story in the book.

What are you writing? What memorial will you leave?