“I AM RESOLVED”

“And he said also unto the disciples, There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward. And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.” (Luke 16:1-4).

Have you ever been at your ‘wits end’? Regardless of the reason, in this life, when you are in deep despair, you are at this proverbial place of ‘wits end’. You are not alone. Everyone has been there. For some, it is a situation that they have found themselves in more than once.

The steward’s circumstances were self-inflicted. He had been unfaithful in his responsibilities as a steward. Nonetheless he was in a desperate situation. He “was resolved” within himself as to what he would do to prepare for his certain loss of employment. While his decision benefited his master’s debtors, his motivation was his own personal welfare. In other words, he was still acting selfishly.  Here was his ‘resolve’: “And calling to him each one of his lord’s debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore.” (Luke 16:5-7).

While his lord commended him (v. 8), it was only for his shrewdness. He was still condemned. The only benefit for his shrewdness was temporal, not eternal. The lesson for disciples of Christ is to be faithful, even in unrighteous mammon. However, there are other valuable lessons to be learned from this story:

1. We can be brought to despair, as a victim. David certainly was when King Saul sought to kill him. Joseph suffered innocently, as did Job and Mordecai. John the Baptist, and James, the brother of John. Certainly, our Lord was in despair (Hebrews 5:7). The righteous will find themselves victims to the point of despair (Mark 13:9-13).

2. God is your help in such times of despair. Resolve to cry out to Him. This is His will. It is to your glory and honor as well as His, for in your crying out to God, you are exercising your faith. This will make it strong and sure for the future. God is your shield; His word is your guide for the right decisions you will need to make. David cried REPEATEDLY in his distress (Psalms 3-41). God has promised you what He promised to David: to rescue and preserve all who put their complete trust in Him (Psalm 25:3). He has given His word to us on this. He always has been faithful to His word, and He always will.

4. God knows your distress. You need to ‘wait’ on Him (Psalm 27:14); to rescue you at the appropriate time (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). He knows when that time is, you don’t (Ecclesiastes 3:11; 8:17; 11:5). Trust His timing, for He purposes to “to do you good in the end” as He did Israel (Deuteronomy 8:16).

Embrace David’s words as your resolve:

“The troubles of my heart are enlarged: Oh bring thou me out of my distresses. Consider mine affliction and my travail; and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. Oh keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for thee.” (Psalm 25:17-21).

3. Resolve to be faithful. “He that is faithful in little will be faithful in much; and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much.” (v. 10). The Lord’s admonition is clear in vv. 11-12: If you have not been faithful in unrighteous mammon, He will not bless you with true riches. God’s grace which has been bestowed upon you can be in vain (1 Corinthians 15:10). In all your decisions in your time of despair, to allow His grace to lead and direct you in your decisions (Titus 2:11-12). Again, as David acknowledged, God will preserve you through these times to bless in your ‘latter end’. Solomon explained this process as follows: “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” (Proverbs 19:20).

 

“THIS MONTH SHALL BE THE BEGINNING…”

In Exodus 12:2, God, through Moses told the children of Israel, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you…”. The setting in which these words were uttered was the announcement of the last of the ten plagues upon Egypt (Exodus 11:4-7). A memorial was set up for the Israelites to keep throughout their generations (Exodus 12:26-27).

The question that was asked by the Israelite children, “What mean ye by this service?” is a relevant question in religious matters. “Why do you do the things you do in your worship?” The Israelite parents were to explain the significance of this memorial to their children. The ‘sacrifice of Jehovah’s passover’ was a serious matter. The significance of this new memorial is seen from the fact that this month was to be a ‘beginning of months’ in their religious life. The term ‘beginning’ is translated head, chief, top, and principal elsewhere in scripture. This gives us an idea of its importance. Exodus 12:26-27 states ‘why’ the sacrifice was to be offered. The determination of what, when, and where of the sacrifice was mentioned in other passages. It was not left up to the people to decide for themselves as they desired. In Exodus 12:14-20 we find that God commands were very specific as to the what, when, and where of this sacrifice. These were ‘appointed’ matters from God. They were to honor His word in their observance of the sacrifice. 

Fast forward to January 1, 2023. Today begins a new month of a new year. With the first day of this year being the first day of the week, Christians are in the same situation as Israel of old. We have been given a memorial to keep throughout our generations. We have specific language from our Savior as to the who, what, when, where, and why of our spiritual sacrifices. Israel was warned not to “appear before the Lord empty-handed”, not only in regard to this sacrifice but all of them. “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.” (Deuteronomy 16:16).

We sing a song: “MUST I GO AND EMPTY-HANDED?” When we come before the Lord today (and every first day), have we appeared empty-handed? The Lord has blessed us both materially and spiritually. We have been provided faith through the blessing of His word (Romans 10:17). Are we empty-handed on our faith? We have the resource of guidance in His word (Psalm 119:105). Are we empty-handed? The Lord has blessed us with a way of escape from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Are we empty-handed? He has fulfilled our need for companionship in the marriage relationship (Genesis 2:18-24). Are we empty-handed? Have we been blessed with children/grand-children from the Lord (Psalm 127:3)? Are we destroying their lives by being empty-handed? Are we empty-handed in our own spiritual discipline before them?

The apostle Paul spoke of our ‘spiritual service’, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2). Have we presented our body unto God as instruments of righteousness alive from the dead or of unrighteousness? (Romans 6:13). Have we given up our love for sinning? Have we ever truly developed as yet in our lives a love for righteousness and truth? Are we empty-handed in regard to our practice of righteousness and truth? “…let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18).

We have been forgiven by God of our sins by the sacrifice of His Son (John 1:29, 36). What of our forgiveness to those who have wronged us? Are we empty-handed? God loves us more than any other thing He created. Are we empty-handed in our obedience to Him? (John 14:15). Jesus was crucified for us. Have we been crucified with Him (Galatians 2:20)? Are we empty-handed? We will all stand before God in judgment one day (Romans 14:10). He has blessed every one with one or more talents. Why should we appear before Him empty-handed at the Judgment? (Matthew 25:24-29). 

Every day for the children of God presents a new beginning.  Every day we awaken, it is with a blessing of life and breath from the Creator. We awake with hope of heaven before us. We awake in fellowship with Him because His Word so declared it to be. We are His because He chose us in Christ. He has blessed us with the freedom of choosing life or death. Let us choose to be filled with His Spirit; His knowledge; His goodness and His love and we will never again be empty-handed before Him.