Resolutions or Resolve???   A Word from THE WORD!!! #427

Resolution: a formal expression of opinion or intention made…

Resolve:  a decision or determination….to make a firm resolution to do something…

“But Daniel purposed in his heart

that he would not defile himself

with the portion of the king’s meat,

nor with the wine which he drank:

therefore he requested

of the prince of the eunuchs

that he might not defile himself.”  Daniel 1:8

As we think about the new year coming in, we are often prone to make “New Year’s Resolutions”; they run the gambit from being healthier, exercising more, eating out less, eating out more, spending our money more wisely, or even deciding to pursue a new job or career, spending more time with our family, etc.!  The thing is that our resolutions often lack real resolve—we just thought about it, we didn’t resolve, firmly resolve.

You can surmise from the verse above that Daniel is one of my favorite Bible examples of resolve!  Here this young-to-middle teen who has been carried off to Babylon from his home in Jerusalem, he has been taken into captivity as a trainee in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court, yet this young man (along with his three friends) “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself”!

Daniel knew that he would be expected to do things that would violate his conscience, and his commitment to faithfully follow and obey his God!  I wish we had time to dig into all of this book, but I want us to focus on this one decision.  Daniel decided to depend upon the God whom he loved and served faithfully.  But as we look into the context, we find a young man who had also committed himself to do the right thing the right way!

How are we doing things?  What are we devoted to?  What have we purposed to do or not do?  We live in a world going crazy; a world that calls wrong right, and right is called wrong.  Isaiah gives us God’s standard.

“Woe unto them

that call evil good,

and good evil;

that put darkness for light,

and light for darkness;

that put bitter for sweet,

and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise

in their own eyes,

and prudent

in their own sight!”  Isaiah 5:20-21

Joshua also made a decision and called his nation to make a decision to choose whom/what to serve.  And yes, you have the right to choose; but choose wisely there is a test coming!

“Now therefore fear the LORD,

and serve him in sincerity and in truth:

and put away the gods

which your fathers served

on the other side of the flood,

and in Egypt;

and serve ye the LORD.

15 And if it seem evil unto you

to serve the LORD,

choose you this day whom ye will serve;

whether the gods which your fathers served

that were on the other side of the flood,

or the gods of the Amorites,

in whose land ye dwell:

but as for me and my house,

we will serve the LORD.”  Joshua 24:14-15

The Apostle Peter warns of those who will reject who God is and what He has said.  We must be Daniels and determine what we are going to stand for—The Word of God and The God of The Word—or the World and its lies.  And let me remind us all that the only way we can know the difference is to know God’s Word, and being born again, know the author!  If you have been born again, get into The Word. If you haven’t been born again, you can be today!  Come to the cross!  Come to Jesus in repentance and faith in His substitutionary atoning sacrifice for sin.

“This second epistle, beloved,

I now write unto you;

in both which I stir up your pure minds

by way of remembrance:

2 That ye may be mindful of the words

which were spoken before

by the holy prophets,

and of the commandment

of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 Knowing this first,

that there shall come in the last days scoffers,

walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying,

Where is the promise of his coming?

for since the fathers fell asleep,

all things continue as they were

from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:1-4

And in closing, Paul reminds us that God never lies, and Satan is the greatest liar of all times (See John 8:44+)!!  May we approach this new year with a commitment to be all that God has called you to be; being resolved to not defile ourselves, trusting all to God’s care, His purposes and His ways—which you can learn all about in HIS WORD!!

“Paul, a servant of God,

and an apostle of Jesus Christ,

according to the faith of God’s elect,

and the acknowledging of the truth

which is after godliness;

2 In hope of eternal life,

which God,

that cannot lie,

promised before the world began;

3 But hath in due times

manifested his word through preaching,

which is committed unto me

according to the commandment of God

our Saviour;” Titus 1:1-3

I pray God’s greatest blessings of wisdom, grace, peace and joy on you in the coming 2026!  Dig into HIS WORD!!!

Amen and Amen!!!