Do You Have Spiritual Amnesia?

“Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: the faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.” Lamentations 3:21-22

I once heard a story about two senior adults who were discussing all the problems associated with growing older. “You know,” one said, “the worst thing in life is when your memory starts to go.” She looked back at her friend and said, “I’ve known you nearly all my life, but for the life of me I can’t think of your name. What is it?” This woman’s friend looked back at her, thought for a moment, and then replied: “Do you need an answer right away?” Sometimes we can be a lot like this with God. It’s easy to get caught up in your circumstances and develop spiritual amnesia, where you vividly recall life’s difficulties yet easily forget all the numerous ways God’s been faithful to you throughout your life. Today’s passage illustrates a powerful shift in Jeremiah’s perspective. In one of his darkest moments, he experienced a profound epiphany. Instead of focusing on his circumstances, he chose to recall God’s past faithfulness. His reflection on God’s faithfulness wasn’t merely sentimental. It was a viral practice that grounded him in God’s enduring character. Likewise, remembering what God has done for you is crucial whenever you are waiting. Just count all the ways his love, mercy, grace, and faithfulness have manifested themselves in your life. Let me encourage you to take some time today to simply pause and look back. Allow God’s faithfulness to reshape your outlook on the waiting season and let it increase your faith in Him all the more. If you do that, the waiting room doesn’t have to be a place of stagnation; it can be a place of tremendous spiritual growth.