In 1886, James H. Fill­more, Sr. wrote the song, I Am Resolved. Although we have sung it many times, it does us good to read the words carefully and deliberately, which are as follows:

I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by the world’s delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.

Refrain: I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.
I will hasten, hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.

The rest of the stanzas say:

I am resolved to go to the Savior,
Leaving my sin and strife;
He is the true One, He is the just One,
He hath the words of life.

I am resolved to follow the Savior,
Faithful and true each day;
Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth,
He is the living Way.

I am resolved to enter the kingdom
Leaving the paths of sin;
Friends may oppose me, foes may beset me,
Still will I enter in.

I am resolved, and who will go with me?
Come, friends, without delay,
Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit,
We’ll walk the heav’nly way.

          Some of you by now are thoroughly disgusted with yourself because you have made some New Year resolutions that you have already fallen back from. Others for fear of doing so, have not made them to begin with. It has been recorded that Fill­more orig­in­al­ly wrote the song for use at the con­ven­tion of Christ­ian En­dea­vor in San Fran­cis­co. It was then reported that four­teen trains of peo­ple sang the song on the way from Ohio to the con­ven­tion! Af­ter­ward, Fill­more asked Hart­sough, a writ­er on the staff of Fill­more’s mu­sic pub­lish­ing house, to write new words so the song could be of more wide­spread. And how it has spread over the world and over the years. It is a good song and one that should express our intent for the year 2006 to go on with and for God. Are you resolved? If not:

          Paul said, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (II Timothy 1:12). In Thayer’s definition of the word “persuade,” we have this meaning: Greek: peitho {pi'-tho} to have confidence; to persuade unto i.e. move or induce one to persuasion to do something; be induced to believe: to have faith: in a thing. From what we observe “persuade” is just another word for resolved! I like the part of the definition that says: “be induced to believe.” This is great, God is not looking for super Christians who already have the faith to do some mountain moving; He is looking for Christians who are willing to believe God for the moving! It is our duty to invest even the mustard seed of faith, it is God’s duty to make us what He wants us to be and move the mountain for us. And by the way, the mountains are moved by those who don’t “feel” resolved, but are willing to be resolved (Matthew 17:20)..

          The very next verse after the oft quoted verse above is: II Timothy 1:13, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." Paul is saying, model my faith and do it too! In another place in Scriptures, the apostle said it like this: "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you" (Philippians 4:9). Sometimes borrowing someone else’s confidence will help boost us until we own it ourselves. Fire begets fire.

          Don’t be a “weak-kneed-sister.” Hang in there. There is a story that illustrates what I am saying. Years ago, a man decided to take a short-cut home from work which passed through the local graveyard. Unaware in the darkness that a fresh grave had been dug, he fell in. He tried repeatedly to climb out but couldn’t. Not being very ambitious, he gave up and decided to go to sleep and wait until daylight to call for help. Around mid-night another young man recently released from his shift at work decided to take the same short-cut. Also unaware of the freshly dug grave, fell into the same hole. He tried and tired and like the first man couldn’t get out. The first man, staying quiet while amused at the second man’s attempt to get out finally spoke up and said, “You can’t get out.” Guess what? The second guy got out with no problem after that brief, casual comment by the unseen first guy. The second guy was resolved not to stay in the grave with a dead man! Seriously, Jesus said, "…Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead" (Matthew 8:22). Our Lord was rebuking a man who was giving excuses why he could not follow the Lord Jesus with resolution. When our Lord said, “let the dead bury their dead,” He was saying, don’t let the thinking of the spiritually dead people of this world cloud your thinking. Think big! Think God’s thoughts (Isaiah 55:8)! Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again! Don’t give up on yourself; God believes in you (Jeremiah 29:11)! God has not given up on you. Be resolved!

- Pastor Pope -

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