PSALM 103:1-5 – “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
THEME OF THE DAY: OVERCOMING SPIRITUAL AMNESIA. It is something we each encounter and it increases as we age – forgetfulness. It annoys us. Whether it be a material thing we put somewhere but cannot remember where, a password for our computers or software we cannot recall, or something of greater value, we suffer from forgetfulness.
We also must deal with forgetfulness in the spiritual realm. Perhaps we might label it spiritual amnesia. In today’s scripture, David addresses our spiritual amnesia. He would do so with a negative exhortation – “Forget not all His benefits”. The reason for the negative emphasis is because of the ease of forgetting the Lord’s benefits. We get so wrapped up in our difficulties, challenges, and trials in life that we forget the many blessings and benefits from the Lord. And should our life be looked at only horizontally, welcome stress, fear, worry, anxiety, and lack of the joy of the Lord into our lives.
When it comes to spiritual amnesia it is preventable. It is not easy to overcome, but possible, and it is all about the exhortation found in the opening verses of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter twelve.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).
But this transformation of the mind has a direction, and David would point us to at least two great benefits from the Lord we are to condition our minds to think upon to cure spiritual amnesia.
First, remember our greatest benefit – “who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit”. Saved, forgiven, cleansed, born again . . . and many other glorious truths about our God give us salvation! No matter what happens in life, we are eternally safe in the arms of our God who has adopted us into His forever family through His Son the Lord Jesus. Never forget the benefit of all benefits – our eternal salvation. Such thinking develops a life of consistent joy.
Another benefit from God should constantly be kept before our minds is His promise of a life of contentment – “who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s”. One of the dominant traits in unsaved people is the sin of discontent. Sadly, even Christians may fall into this sin, yet, it need not be so. The Psalmist tells us, “Don’t forget God satisfies you,” and too often discontent occurs when we forget all we have in Christ. Then we begin to seek satisfaction in the world, and since that will never be, our discontent grows. Why? We have forgotten all we have in Christ.
Spiritual amnesia. It is common but it is also preventable. We commit to the discipline of a transformed mind, remembering all the many spiritual benefits the Lord has given and continues to give us. It leads to joy, peace, and delight in the Lord.
PRAYER: Father, help me not to fall prey to forgetting all the rich blessings You give me in this life and the next.
REFLECTION: Learn to daily count our blessings from the Lord. They far outweigh life’s trials and challenges.