Resolve! Devotion

Resolve!

“As the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind and set out on his way to Jerusalem.” Luke 9:51 (NIV).

Resolve- It’s one of my six favorite words.

It means making up your mind to do a tough job. The dictionary defines it as “To act with determination…. Steadfast and faithful.”

It’s a word I like. I want to learn more about it.

It’s also a word I see in the life of Jesus. He had resolve and grit. The verse shows Jesus beginning the first step in his upcoming journey to the cross.

A close reading of the verse nearly reveals the set of his jaw, his clenched fist as he continues following His Father’s perfect will. It’s called resolve.

A few years ago, DeDe and I visited Ft. Worth, Texas where our son Clay and his family live. They took us to the Amon Carter Museum of Art, which features Western Art, especially the sculptures and painting of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell.

Our tour guide told this impressive story: Amon Carter was a West Texas oil wildcatter and drilled 92 dry holes before he struck the gusher that made him a very rich and famous man.

He later started American Airlines, operated Ft. Worth’s newspaper, and amassed a vast collection of art and antiques. But his first fortune was made in drilling oil wells.

92 dry holes… that’s a lot of failure!

I wonder on what dry hole most of us would have stopped trying.

Would we have made it to 40… or maybe 56?

Surely, very few of us would continue on to 75… or past 90.

But Amon Carter kept drilling until he hit pay dirt and became instantly wealthy. However, let me re-phrase that: There was nothing instant about his wealth and success. It was the result of much hard work, investment, and persistence.

There is that word again: persistence.

The determination to never give up.

Having the grit to stay with the job.

The resolve to not turn back until your goals are met.

Call it persistence, determination, grit, or resolve… Amon Carter had it.

Once again, I’m reminded that success in life is in large part refusing to quit, showing up every day, pushing, sweating, and working hard.

Jesus had it.

He showed it in every area of his life. I want Him to teach me more about it.

Resolve. It’s a good word.

Quote:“Nothing… can take the place of persistence. . . . The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” -Calvin Coolidge

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me to press on. To not quit. To do my job. And teach me to do this with joy. Amen

Devotion: Deep Roots

Deep Roots

Scripture: "Blessed is the man… He is like a tree planted by streams of water. "
-Psalms 1:3

Hurricanes teach us a great deal about life, nature, and people. While I don’t recommend them for anyone, they are great teachers. Hurricane Rita, in September 2005, was our teacher here in SW Louisiana.

Hurricanes also reveal a great deal about trees.
I saw trees that seemed strong and ready to withstand anything crash to the ground.
One big oak splintered in half revealing a rotten hollow core that was hidden by its massive size… until the storm came.

Other tall seemingly invincible trees lay prone on the ground “clayrooted.” Their root system exposed to be shallow.

Finally, our native pine species, longleaf pine, weathered hurricane Rita pretty well. Experts say it was due to their tap root—a long thick root that develops during the tree’s early life and digs deep into the sandy soil of the gulf coast.

It’s one of our slowest growing trees. That’s due to the early years growth of the tap root. Out of sight but building a tap root.

Trees teach us a great deal about life… and people.

The Psalmist used the metaphor of trees in Psalm 1, comparing the blessed man of integrity as like a “tree planted by the water.”

Deep-rooted to withstand droughts, storms, and the years.

Some folks are like the big oak. They look healthy on the inside but a storm or adversity reveals an inner hollowness and weakness. As one of my characters in A Good Place says, “A storm doesn’t build character. It reveals it.”

Other lives are tall and straight but shallow-rooted. Their inner foundation doesn’t go very deep. They’re three miles wide and two inches deep.

But the man or woman of God is like a tree planted by the water. Slow but steady growth deep into the fertile well-watered soil.

Application : How to get deep roots:
1. Dig into God’s word daily.
2. Surround yourself with people who’ll till the soil of your life. It’s best found in a warm church and among friends who are 'Builders not tear-ers.'
3. Walk daily with Jesus through prayer and obedience.

Quote: "Valor is not stability of the legs or arms, but of courage and the soul." -DeMontaigne

Prayer for the day: "Lord, help me find my strength and deep roots within the rich soil of your love. Amen"