Influencers Weekly Devotional
Resolute
by
Rocky Fleming
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Heb. 11:1 (ESV)
res·o·lute - “admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.”
I have provided the definition of “resolute” for a strange reason. I also connect the definition to the above scripture in Hebrews because of another mysterious reason. The fact is, someone specifically needs encouragement coming from this devotional. I just feel there is a reason for writing it that deals with a particular person, for I was that person at a time in my life. On the other hand, all believers, including this guy today, needs to be reminded of the power of faith, and the inevitability of God responding to a faith that endures … a faith that is resolute … determined … and unwavering. First, I will share with you the strange reason I introduced “resolute” as the jumping off point for this devotional. I'm looking at the word right now as I write this devotional. It is the name cast on the side of the antique wood burning iron stove I am looking at as I write these words, while the snow falls outside our cabin. I had never noticed the word on the side of the stove before. The cast iron beauty was in our cabin when we bought it several years ago. I do not know its history. I only know it gives a pleasant heat and aroma when filled with oak firewood, and it is the main source of heat for the entire cabin. It does a good job. It is faithful. It lives up to its name, and because it does, it does not disappoint me. Likewise faith, no matter how small or large it is, never disappoints God. Over 33 years ago I was having a challenging quiet-time in an unsettled time of my life. I felt a change was in the air. However at the time I was only being introduced to the thought of where my family and I might be led. It could be called a “vision” of sorts, especially since it has now been confirmed. Along with the vision came its companion, which was the challenge to wait for the vision to be completed. I began to understand at this point in my life that my faith in a promise God gives to me must be accompanied by my being resolute in waiting for it. In the passage below I felt God was saying this to me: “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3 This passage meant a lot to me then, for it encouraged me by giving me assurance to wait for my vision to be realized at some point in my future in serving the Lord. The revelation I was given led me to think I would one day be in full time ministry and a writer of Christian books. It was only a glimpse, but it was real. The thought and vision encouraged me. “Dare I hope for this,” I prayed back to God. It seemed impossible for I was 35 years old at the time, deeply in debt, untrained as a writer, and I was not seminary trained, which seemed to be a requirement in my risk adverse, logical thinking. The odds were against a father of three children and a stay at home mom with being able to make a change and make that kind of thing happen. Not only was the transition thing a big deal, there was another big deal … I didn't know how to write anything worth reading or lead a ministry. I had no gift or talent for writing in me when the vision was first given that I would one day have a writing ministry. But, and this is a big but, our ability to accomplish a task or be prepared for our part in a vision from God is not limited to our current circumstance or ability to accomplish it. A case in point is that those abilities came to me later, as God taught me and equipped me for my part in the vision over the next several years. My challenge to you is will you trust God to prepare you for what He has in mind? Will you stand resolute in your faith in Him and His promise to you, and trust that His plan will be perfected in you if you will not give up during the necessary period of waiting on the vision to be realized? Do you want to know your part right now in making this vision become a reality? It is while you are waiting for the vision to mature and be realized, stand resolute in waiting for it. The impossible vision given to me at the time seemed a lot like what Sarah had to wrestle with in her day. In fact, if we can learn anything about the problem Sarah created for Abraham, and the turmoil that still remains around Israel today is that we must not “see” a vision from God to be something that we must make happen. It has to be His work to accomplish the vision through us or in spite of us, but surely for us. It requires His timing, His resources, and His strategy. I wonder if Sarah had been resolute in her faith and simply waited for God to keep His promise to Abraham and her with having a child even at such an old age that things would be drastically different with the Israelis people today? You know it was the conflict between Hagar and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac, because Sarah took matters into her own hands, that a bitter rivalry began in the two families, and remains today with their descendants? Sarah did not wait for the vision to be accomplished by God. She was not resolute and she took matters into her own hands. Even so, God fulfilled His promise, for we play no part in a true vision from God being fulfilled, other than waiting resolutely for it. What about you, if you are waiting for God to accomplish something in your life that only He can do? Does it seem impossible? Great! God loves the impossible. Does it seem unlikely? Wonderful! God loves to shake up status-quo and predictability. Has it been a long time that you have been waiting for God to step in? Then you are following in the steps of some great men and women of God who had to wait on the Lord before He chose to complete His promise to them. They are written about in the Bible and are listed in Faith’s Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11. Your challenge at the moment is to be resolute in your faith and wait on God. It was the same with those heroes as it is with any man or woman today who God is strengthening their faith in Him. The good news is that God is at work in your life even now, even if you do not see it. You must believe this. Now I understand that not all visions of things to come are as dynamic as Sarah's, or even what God showed me many years ago before the reality of becoming a professional Christian writer and founder of a ministry happened. The vision God gave to me would not be fulfilled until over 20 years later, and we've been living within this vision now for the last 14 years. Your “vision” or promise from God may be about other people, or current difficult circumstances, or a personal difficulty you live with. But, if you have found a promise in God's word that directs you to apply it to your life and circumstance, then I believe God has spoken to you. He has given you a “vision” of what will occur one day if you will trust Him. Claim that promise as coming from God to you. Accept it into your heart. Trust the Lord by accepting today what will come tomorrow, and be resolute in your faith. Remember, resolute means to be admirably purposeful, determined and unwavering. These descriptive words are the antithesis of doubt, fear and hopelessness. In fact, being resolute inspires hope within us, and as well in our loved ones around us. When they see this hope in you, they are also given a vision of their future. They see in you a man or woman who is resolute in trusting that God has things under control and because of it, things will turn out good. I think another description could be added to the definition of resolute as it is applied to waiting on God. It is:res·o·lute - “hope that will one day be realized.”
God bless you as you wait … resolutely.