Resiliency

By Nick Perez

The resiliency of God’s people is seen in the amount of time they waited for God to fulfill His word.
Abraham waited 25 years for a son. Joseph was 22 years in Egypt before his family came to see him. Moses spent 40 years shepherding sheep in the wilderness of Midian. Israel wandered for 40 years in the wilderness following the Exodus. Then Israel spent 70 years of exile in Babylonian Captivity. We talk about the 400 years of “silence” during the intertestamental or second temple period when God’s people were waiting for a word from God. The Jewish people spent millennia waiting for the Messiah – the one who would crush the head of the serpent, who would be a prophet like Moses, who would
suffer for the people.

Then Jesus came. If ever there was a person who exemplified resilience it was Jesus. His enemies repeatedly came against Him, tried to trap Him, tried to trick Him, tried to kill Him, but every time, until it
was His time, He outmaneuvered and outsmarted them. Despite the negativity and hatred, He kept His heart in the will of God and remained compassionate, caring, and loving.

God’s people are resilient. Even though we experience hard times and trying times, we bounce back, we are flexible. Such a quality is needed now especially. One key way we exemplify resiliency is through
adaptation. We change. It is human to resist change, especially when we face adversity and challenges.
However, change is inevitable and it is a key characteristic of resilience. We learn, grow, and thrive. We develop the capacity to deal with stress and adversity. This capacity to stand up under the pressure of difficulty comes from God. He shapes our behaviors, our thoughts, and our actions.

Bookmark the permalink.