Spiritual Mindfulness

UV 2222/10000 Spiritual Mindfulness
Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
Isaiah 44 v 21

Remembering implies running over and over again the same memories. Often our fondest memories reflect where our heart lies- what do we treasure the most in our lives? Is it our families, our wealth, our relationships, our vacations, our travels? The Lord desires that He and His word spoken to us from time to time become our fondest memories. As we remember the wonders the Lord has done in our lives hitherto, praise and thanksgiving will go forth to Him spontaneously and it will give rise to joy and gladness in our hearts, health and strength in our minds and bodies. We need to recall that He is present near us, that He leads us like a cloud by day and a fire by night. He carries us as a shepherd carries the young lamb on his shoulders. We need to remember the difficult and impossible things that He has accomplished in our lives hitherto. Such memories will boost our faith and enable us to experience even more victories in every domain of our lives. Remembering His promises spoken to us will generate hope, joy and power in our lives. Remembering His warnings and admonition will make us wise and keep us from the errors of others and the errors of our own past. When we constantly practice divine remembrance, every member of our bodies will be strengthened.

A faithful servant always tries to recall the instructions of his master and tries to execute it in the course of the day. Likewise, we too need to often remember all the instructions of the Lord received by us and try to carry it out diligently. We need to recall that we are not just bond servants of Jesus but we are in a covenant relationship with the Lord. We should remember not to do anything or say anything that displeases Him in the least. Rather we should endeavour to always do and say things that please Him even as a soldier tries to please his commanding officer.

Another reason we should constantly remember the Lord and His word is that He is the One who formed us and He alone can reform us, correct us in the areas we go wrong, nudge us in the right direction, heal us, help us, deliver us, lead us. He is the One closest to us in all our struggles. With his help we can make the transition that Jacob made to become “Israel”. The Lord on His part never forgets us. Our names are written on His palm. His eyes are always on our walls or in other words, His watchful eyes guard us like firewalls, strengthen us from within and without. Even a mother can at times forget her child- the greatest of human bonds, but the Lord will never ever forget us. His commitment to us is so great, deep and everlasting. Remembering the Lord all through the day and night, all our lives is an exercise of divine mindfulness. Our minds will be like a sponge absorbing the dew of Hermon- a symbol of His presence and His blessings upon our lives. His radiant or Shekinah ineffable glory will be upon us. Our spirits will commune with His Spirit.

Prateep V Philip