Teague Bible Church

RESOLVE

Verb: “decide firmly on a course of action”

Noun: “firm determination to do something”

I was asking God about what I might say to you today as we are in the midst of this crisis sweeping the world. It seems many rock back and forth between giving encouragement, without knowing the final outcome, and others who think all of this temporary life has lost its meaning if things like this destroy all concepts of,” normal life.” Coronavirus does not allow ,”normal life,” you might have noticed.

I could quickly convince you that life, and particularly, your life has never been normal. Certainly the old adage,” What Is Your Five -Year Plan?” was D.O.A. when spoken.

 I love the scene in the first Jurassic Park movie, where the creatures are running wild, all out of control, making lunch snacks out of several humans, while the old man who built the park kept saying, “Next time we will have control,,,” The research girl slammed her hands down on the table as if to shock the old man into the present, deadly reality and said,

 ” But you never had control ! “

We can say, “God is in control.” And knowing His character, and Romans 8: 28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose,” we know that ultimately, eternally, we have nothing to fear. But I think that is not enough to know. Something is missing in us. Something we need to do.

As I was trying to relate this information ( Romans 8) to an unbeliever once, I got a shocking response.” Well that may be true, but how can I pay attention to that distant stuff when this temporary life is beating the living hell out of me?”

So for him, and for you and me today, may I speak about “resolve?”  Read a story on a news feed years ago about a mom who had to wrestle back her child who was being abducted right in front of her. She lit into the man and beat him till he stopped and ran away. Bystanders were amazed at how vicious her attack was. Later, in interview, she said she was scared of spiders, bugs, just about every little thing. Even as she was recuing her child she could not believe it was her doing this marvelous deed. She said,” Something just clicked inside me and all fear went away, things slowed down, and I found myself, I found, resolve.”

So what do we really need? Resolve. I found the perfect thing to share today as I studied Matthew 26. Yea all of it. I ask you to read it 3 times and then reflect on it.

Jesus is emotionally overwhelmed about what is coming. He is wanting to live, as each of us want to live.  He knows He needs an established resolve, in His humanity, to go forward. What you catch as you read it, is that the level of disturbance in His spirit is off the scale until verse 45 !

 At that point He resolved to do the Father’s will. After that, for the rest of the time you see Jesus in calm resolve and action.

All emotional when nothing was happening but a prayer time? What is going on here? And then after the prayer a great calm and  bravery?

This is what is missing in this whole crisis we face. Are we “resolved” to recognize the reality of this fragile life and building up, within ourselves, the eternal life given to us by the Lord Jesus? Through the new nature given to us something can “click” if you surrender to do God’s will us. Where are you,,really?

Daniel 12; 3, 10 ” Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness , like the stars forever and ever.”

                                            JWP

 ” Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.”  JWP