Spiritual Short-Term Memory Loss

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As I was praying to God the other morning and pouring out the desires of my heart, I heard him clearly speak to my heart:

“Have I ever withheld anything from you?”

“Haven’t I always provided for you?”

 “Am I not faithful?’

“Don’t I always meet all your needs?”

“Don’t all good things come to pass?”

“Yes, Lord, you alone are God,” was my sole response.

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How often do we do that? We so quickly forget God’s faithfulness, just like Dory in the Pixar Movie, "Finding Nemo." When we are faced with another trial or time of suffering; we panic – we forget God, forget all the awesome things he's done for us in past, and forget that he promises to never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV). 

When our daughter was younger, we would have to remind her of certain truths, i.e. to obey your parents, tell the truth, walk in a manner worthy of God, etc. When she would fall short and we would bring her actions to her, she would say that she “suffered from short-term memory loss.” 

Stifling a belly laugh, we would smile slightly and enlighten her that she in fact did not suffer from the medical condition of short-term memory loss. She just suffered from an affliction we all face, sin, in which the only cure is a Savior, Jesus Christ. We then informed her of her need to confess her sins to God and ask for grace from Jesus Christ which was so freely available on the cross to help her turn from her sins in the future.

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But isn’t that just like us? Don’t we all suffer from “short-term spiritual memory loss?” How quickly we forget our God and his past faithfulness when another faith-testing moment is upon us?  We forget how BIG he is. We fail to recall how omnipotent (all-powerful) and sovereign (all things are under his control) he is?  

Thankfully when we confess our unbelief (or short-term spiritual memory loss), we are forgiven by the shed blood of God's Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. Our sins are then cast into the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19). 

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(Sigh) Praise God.  I am forgiven despite all my shortcomings (sins).

Then it struck  me, if God is omnipresent (all-present) -- which he is -- then he has heard my prayers.  I don't have to be anxious about my petitions.  He's heard me and he's got this. 

And if he’s heard my prayers, because he’s omniscient (all-knowing), he’ll answer them in his perfect timing, not mine.   I just need to be patient and wait on God. Again, he's got this.

Therefore, in recompense to his omnipotence, he’ll answer my prayers exceedingly abundantly more than I can ever imagine, because he’s God (Ephesians 3:20). 

Ahh...thank goodness God's in control, not me.   God's best is always so much better than my best.  I just have to trust him. 

Praise God that he is OUR God.

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