Malachi 3:2-4 - But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
Here we find that the Lord was speaking to the Levites on why they were passing through some trying period in their lives. He is refining and purifying them as silver and gold. For them to get through successfully will demand their determination not to quit or give up. Every obstacle in your life is to prove your determination to succeed.
Determination is produced by strong desire or passion to fulfill the vision or purpose God has given to you. The desire of Jesus was to do the will of the Father who has sent him. As a result his focus was fulfilling this purpose. Determination has to do with decision. Your decision in life determines your destiny. You must make a definite decision in your mind to fulfill your God given purpose.
Daniel 1:8 - 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 though he was a captive in the flesh understood his covenant right with Jehovah. He made a decision not to defile himself with the king’s meat. The reason why many are not successful in their lives is that they do not have a clear cut decision in their lives as to what they are doing. They have many abandoned vision and dreams. They start one thing and when there is an obstacle they abandon it and move into another thing. Before engaging into any life’s venture the scripture admonishes us to count the cost.
• There are some countries I know where they start a project and abandon it uncompleted. Such is called abandoned project. The project cannot be put into use because it was not completed and the money spent and effort put in becomes a waste. Many people have abandoned projects in their life. They have too many in pursuit and never concentrating to achieve any.
Luke 14:28-29 - For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
It is a disaster to go in a project with out a plan. During the planning you estimate the cost of the project. You make some adjustments in the plan and cost so as to fit into your budget for the project. Therefore if you fail to plan you have planned to fail.
Daniel 3:16-19 - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
The three Hebrew boys were determined not to bow to the image of king Nebuchadnezzar. Look at what they said: But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
They refused to commit sin with the people. They stood their ground no matter the consequences. Well you may say that every body was washing them. What of Joseph, who would have committed adultery with his master’s wife without anybody knowing of it. He refused and said:
Genesis 39:9 - There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
He saw it as a sin against God because he has a covenant with God. The sins that we commit is not only against our neighbors but also against God.
When Job passed through trial and temptation he kept his steps and never declined. He never caused God. He kept at the ways of God and did not deny Him. We read the story of Job on how he succeeded despite all that he suffered. His testimony lay’s in this his statement of determination:
Job 23:11 - My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.
The Apostle Paul was another determined man. He suffered a lot of persecution. Read 2 Corinthians 4 to 6 and 11 and you see all that Paul suffered. Paul the persecutor became the persecuted. When he got the vision on his way to Damascus Jesus told him that he will suffer and be persecuted.
Acts 20:24 - But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
He determined in his life not only to suffer but to know Jesus.
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
No wonder he wrote more than half of the New Testament. Today we have men of God in an air-conditioned office but not prayer condition office. That is why they don’t have any revelation or testimony in their life. All they are after is how much that is coming in the church. You cannot have a testimony until you have a test. It is the test that produces the testimony. Therefore, there is no testimony with out a test.
Hebrews 12:1-4 - Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Beloved we are surrounded by a cloud of witness. The inhabitants of Heaven and hell are watching to see if we can make it to the end. Jesus endured the shame of the cross. Don’t be a chicken and chicken out in the army of the Lord.
The woman of issue of blood has every reason to give up, but she never did. The law in Leviticus 15 did not allow her to come out and mix with the crowd because what ever she touches will be unclean. She has tried so many physicians and yet her situation grew worse. She has spent all that she had. Despite these reasons that can be a good ground of excuses, she was determined to get her healing, for she said to herself, if I may touch the hem of his garment, I will be made whole.
Blind Bartimaeus was determined to have his sight restored, so he shouted the more when people were telling him to stop.
Great people are ordinary people with extraordinary amounts of determination in their life.
