TODAY IS…

the ideal day to thank God for His gift of resilience.

“Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven!’”  Matthew 18:22 NIV

That answer was given by Jesus to Peter when he asked Jesus how often he should forgive someone.

Jesus could only answer one way because He knew that the capacity of God’s forgiveness knew no limits. But this limitless forgiveness of the wrongs that we do to each other, to ourselves and to God is just part of the resilience that He equips each of us with at birth.

While all of us succumb to earthly temptations in varying degrees throughout our lives, God has placed within us a tremendous capability to bounce back. This resilience that God gives us is also helpful in times of tragedy, sorrow and misfortune, but to utilize this resilience in its most effective way, we must look to God for the spark that will ignite it.

God insists that we all worship Him and love one another. With the temptations and dangers that humanity creates and surrounds us with, He knows how difficult it can be for us sometimes. But just as we encourage our children to get up when they fall, God encourages us to do the same.

The path of righteousness often seems narrower than we would like and it can be quite easy to veer off it just by looking away for a moment. Thanks to the gift of resilience that comes from the gracious goodness that is the Father, we can get right back on it and continue to move forward. This is not a board game where we are penalized and have to start over or lose a turn.

The resilience that God has filled us with is useful in other aspects of our lives as well, not just when we sin, give in to temptation or wander off the Lord’s path.

When tragedy enters our life through the death of a loved one; when we lose a job and are not sure what we are going to do; when we experience lethargy or depression – in any situation where we may falter, God’s forgiveness, God’s strength and God’s love are there in the gift of resilience to help us bounce back time and time again.

How many times?

Seventy times seven, and then some. God doesn’t count and neither should we. Each of us should thank Him for His gracious gift of resilience and remind others that they have the gift as well.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

The note below was originally added one year ago, but it is still relevant:

Author’s Note: In these days filled with uncertainty, confusion, and fear surrounding the Coronavirus, it is especially important to remember just how resilient God has made us. As we take steps to separate ourselves from other humans, perhaps we can use the time to grow closer to God, to spend more time in prayer, to join online groups for worship and Bible study, and to thank God for His unbreakable promise that no matter what happens, He is faithful, He is there for us, and He is in control.

Now is not the time to panic. Now is the time to, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Remember, The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14