Resolute For God Pt. 3 - No. 167

Nehemiah 7:5 Knox, “God putting such a resolve into my heart…”

I recently sent out two devotions about being Resolute for God. I listed 10 affirmations of “I will not!” In the next two devotions we will look at 10 affirmations of “I will!” There are many “I wills” in the Word of God. David the Psalmist constantly affirmed his commitment to the Lord. It is a good thing to do. It is important to affirm what we believe. It is even more important to confess it out loud! I love the Scripture in 2 Corinthians 4:13, “I believe, therefore have I spoken.”

I think it could be good to recite the Apostles’ Creed as they do in traditional churches. We miss this in our modern churches today. Here is this wonderful affirmation of your faith in case you don’t have a copy. You may like to learn it and teach it to your children.

“I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

Now for our affirmations about being resolute for God.

I WILL OVERCOME IN JESUS’ NAME!

Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

Revelation 2:7, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life.”

Revelation 2:17, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saying he that receiveth it.”

Revelation 23:17, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

Are you going through obstacles and difficulties? Don’t despair! You are given these to overcome in the name of Jesus Christ. God’s rewards are to the overcomers. If you have nothing to overcome, how can you receive a reward?

I WILL RESIST THE DEVIL!

James 4:7, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.”

Instead of giving in to the temptations of the enemy, be on the offensive. Resist him.

I WILL TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!

Psalm 55:23, “I will trust in you.” (Psalm 9:10; 18:2; 143:8)

David was going through many troubles—enemies coming against him, violence and strife all around him and even his closest friends maligning him. His heart was “severely pained within him”, but what was his response. “I will trust in the Lord.” It is very easy to let pressures and difficulties of life overwhelm you. But you do not have to be swamped by them. Put your trust in the Lord. Confess your trust in the Lord. Take the example of David and confess out loud, “I will trust the Lord!”

Psalm 56:3, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you.”

Do you have concerns and fears? Fear will debilitate you. It will strangle you. But you do not have to fear. Put your trust in the Lord. Instead of dwelling on your concerns and fears, say, “I will trust you, Lord.”

Psalm 61:4, “I will trust in the shelter of your wings.”

Psalm 62:8, “Trust in him at all times.”

Psalm 125:1, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides for ever.”

Isaiah 50:10, “Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God.”

Are you walking through a dark time in your life? You can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel? You know what to do, don’t you? Trust in the Lord. He is faithful. He will never forsake you. The blind person implicitly trusts his dog to lead him. You have the Almighty God leading you. The God who is light! He sees the way clearly even when you can’t. Trust him to lead you.

“Trust Him when dark days assail thee,

Trust Him when thy faith is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him

Is the hardest thing of all.”

I WILL PRAY AND SEEK THE LORD!

Psalm 27:8, “When you said, ‘Seek my face’, my heart said to you, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’” (Psalm 5:2-3; 18:3; 28:1; 61:2, 86:3; 141:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:8)

Psalm 5: 2-3, “Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I will pray. My voice you shall  hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to you, and I will look up.”

Psalm 55:17, “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voice.”

Psalm 57:2, “I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me.”

This is an affirmation that we must become resolute about. God’s people should be known as the people who cry unto the Lord. Our children should know us as people of prayer. Our homes should be known in our neighborhoods as homes of prayer. Do the people in your street know you as people of prayer? Do they ask you to pray for them because they see the power of prayer in your lives? Let’s be resolute for prayer. Let’s be resolute for praying for our nation, for our coming elections and for those in authority. Without earnest prayer, our nation is on a downward slide. And it is a command. Read 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

I WILL GLORY IN TRIBULATION!

Oh no! It’s pretty had to accept this one, isn’t it? We would rather run from tribulation. I know I would. But the apostle Paul constantly affirmed the blessing and joy of tribulations. May the Lord help us to experience this truth in our lives.

Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

1 Peter 4:12-14, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER:

“Lord, please put resolve in my heart that nothing will move me from my commitment to your truth. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION: 

I am resolved to follow God’s ways.