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