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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 in which they have found themselves 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 benefitted 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 he said 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.
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, 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).
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 secure 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.
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” (Luke 16.10). The Lord’s admonition is clear in vv. 11-12: if you have not b 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). Allow his grace to lead in direct you in all your decisions during your time of despair (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).
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 proposes 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
