Word For 2021...Resolve
2021…It’s a new year with all new possibilities. I love that “new” feeling, new car smell that a new year gives. It’s like having a do-over every twelve months; a chance to start over while kissing the old goodbye! No looking back to what was, we get to decide to look forward to what can be.
As I prayed about a word for this year several things came to me from the Holy Spirit. One, I heard the word RESOLVE. The definition is “to determine to do something, to settle or find a solution to a problem. To decide firmly on a course of action.” Other words for resolve are boldness, courage, firmness, intentional steadfastness.
Have you had a prayer out there that doesn’t seem to be getting answered? Or have you been waiting on a promise to be fulfilled God spoke to you? What are you waiting on…? We all have something it seems.
As I thought about this word and what it means for me, I realized something. We tend to think of being “resolved” as being resolved to wait it out or hang in there for that promise to manifest. But…I think for me, and maybe you, it means more, something deeper.
It means to be resolved to love Jesus even if my promise never happens, that job never comes, that child never turns around, that raise doesn’t happen or that whatever doesn’t show up when or how or like I want it to. #ouch
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3 had refused to bow to the statue of the King and worship it or be thrown into a fiery furnace. When the King again ordered them to bow, they stated, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
They were resolute, resolved that even if…they ended up in the furnace God was…
1. Well able to save them. They knew God. They trusted him that he could save them by his power even if their prayers didn’t get answered to not be thrown in. Sometimes we must go through not around a difficulty. #preachthat
2. They knew he would rescue them. Either from the furnace or through the furnace, they would be ok. Now that’s faith! No matter what being resolved that God will rescue us!
3. BUT…even if he doesn’t. This is the place we don’t like to be. After all of our praying and believing, realizing that we are going to have to go through the fire, not around it, but through it. This is the real test of our faith.
We would all like to avoid the pain, the process, the valley…who wouldn’t. But that isn’t always our reality. Our idea of an answered prayer is clearly different than God’s idea. We like to have the results clearly spelled out way ahead of time. We would like prompt deliverance FROM any hard places or bumps in the road to our glorious outcome. The Christian life isn’t about getting what we want, being rich, or always being happy, it's about sacrifice because he made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
For me, this word resolve came with a knowing of what God was saying. He was asking me a question…”Will you love me, serve me, trust me, still believe me, stay the course EVEN IF what you are believing for doesn’t happen?” Because in reality that is what faith really is. It’s firmly trusting Him EVEN IF.
My answer to that question was a heartfelt yes, submission on so deep a level I lack words to describe it, I will love him no matter what. In that yes he gained a little more of me and I lost more of self, because ultimately it’s not about me. He wants it all you know…
I will love my God because he is worthy not because I get what I want.
I will serve him not because I get some special reward for it but because he is worthy.
I love him because he first loved me and gave himself to have me.
I trust him because he is faithful…no.matter.what.
Even if you don’t God…I am fully yours.