The other day, we were studying how our weapons of war are not carnal. But that they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. And someone said something about spiritual sanity, a fairly new concept to me. I had always thought sanity was the same whether physical or spiritual. But I now borrow a leaf from them to speak about spiritual memory.
At that time, they had quoted 2 Timothy 1.7 which says God has not given us a spirit of fear. However, God has given us a spirit of power and of love, and of a sound mind. They referred to the sound mind in that scripture as spiritual sanity. Similarly, as we speak about spiritual memory, we look at a verse of scripture. Psalm 103. 2 indicates that it is the only way your soul can bless the Lord. It says “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
The reason we need to retain our spiritual memory is quite simple and obvious from that passage. Unless your spiritual memory is sharp, you are likely not to be thankful. Because that is what it means to bless the Lord. Since God is so much higher than we are, blessing him simply means being grateful to him. How well and often do you thank God? If you answered ‘all the time,’ that is an indication that you have a sharp spiritual memory.
If, on the other hand, you do not thank God often, you have a failing memory. Someone said it is like having spiritual Alzheimer’s, a disease that causes memory loss. It can become so severe that sufferers forget their children and their spouses. How can you thank someone you don’t remember knowing? All you can say is, “who are you again?”
Believers With Poor Spiritual Memory
Unfortunately, many believers behave that way to God. We may not quite be like Pharaoh who asked “who is God?” but we are quite close. Particularly when we complain and wonder what God has done for us lately. No doubt, you know some such believers who ask, “what has God done for me that I should thank Him?” What!? He saved you from hell and eternal damnation by forgiving you all your sins.
If that is all God did, He is worthy of our praise. But according to Psalm 103, He did much more. Listen as David made a summary of God’s blessings in his own life. This was a man whose spiritual memory was sharp, with no hint of Alzheimer’s. According to David, God forgives all your iniquities,
and heals all your diseases.
Additionally, God redeems your life from destruction and crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. It is also God who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. He continues but I believe this list suffices to let you know you must constantly be grateful to God. That is if you have a sharp spiritual memory like David evidently had. He charged us to forget NOT God’s benefits.
Stir Up Your Faith
King David is not the only one in the bible who needed to remind the people about God’s goodness. Peter too had cause to put the people of God in remembrance of the goodness of God. Unless you remember God’s wonderful works in your life, you will become an ingrate. That is the reason Peter thought it fit to stir the faith of people up by reminding them of the goodness of God.
He said, “as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” Because, unless you are thankful, your mind gradually goes towards darkness and hardness. Before you know it, you become like Pharaoh, the hard-hearted king who asked “who is God?” The reason for this post is that we shall never be that way. You could say we are putting you in remembrance of how great is our God.
We must sharpen our spiritual memory and keep it sharpened at all times. He has done so much for us but unless we call it to mind, we may turn our backs on him. And then, one minute you are up but the next moment, you are down. That roller coaster Christianity is a symptom of a believer who cannot remember where God brought him from. Such a believer is suffering from spiritual Alzheimer’s. Don’t let that be you.
Maranatha!
