Resolved

The Psalmist certainly shows us how to respond to adversity in his life - he had inner struggles, and faced discouragement in the face of opposition. In Psalm 27, we can read these words:
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

There are no doubt opportunities that we will face to "lose heart," to become discouraged in our walk with the Lord.  The enemy pounds our mind, and we become consumed by our own ineffeciencies. Yet, we can be confident that God is with us - when we look within and find discouragement, we can look to Him and be strengthened on the inside.  He can help us to navigate the rough spots we encounter and help us find that "smooth path," as the Psalmist describes it. 

+++++

The apostle Paul was determined - resolved - to preach the gospel, to spread the message of Christ's love, even though there were barriers. In 1st Corinthians 16, he wrote:
9 For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
10 Now if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.

A few verses from there, he gives this exhortation:
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

The resolve of the Ukrainian government has caught the attention of people around the world - in the face of an invasion by a hostile and, you would assume, larger force, in the initial days of this incursion, the leadership has stood boldly and strongly and has been determined, so far, not to back down. 

A Newsweek story related that:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struck a defiant tone and called for an end to lies about the conflict in Ukraine in a video briefing on Saturday, as he said his country's forces were still in control of the capital city of Kyiv and were holding back a Russian advance.

He countered rumors that he had fled the capital city of Kyiv by posting a video of himself  and other leaders on the streets of the capital, and rejected an offer from the U.S. to evacuate. He reportedly had flatly stated: "The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride..."

In a speech on Saturday, Zelenskyy said:

"Please stop those who are lying, or trying to lie to you, or lying to us. We need to stop this war. We can live in peace together, globally as humans." He added, "We are successfully holding back the enemy's attacks. We know we are defending our land and the future of our children. Kyiv and the key areas are controlled by our army."

The Ukrainian President has been lauded for this resolve in the face of a crisis, being willing to stand strong on behalf of the country which he has been elected to serve.

And, according to a Faithwire story, a pastor in central Virginia who was born in Ukraine is complimenting the resolve of the Church there.  Andrew Moroz stated: “I’m proud of the church in Ukraine...They are rallying. They’re gathering in groups, they’re worshipping. There’s videos going around of prayer services and worship experiences in subways and so I’m praying that Jesus is glorified. If He is peace — which we believe He is, He’s the Prince of Peace — then we want more of Him in these spaces where people are hurting.”

He added: “I’ve been praying the Lord’s Prayer for the country of Ukraine...We can pray that for each other, too, in just the same elements that Jesus lays out for us. This is what those people need. This is what I need right now: ‘Lord, I need Your Kingdom present in my life. I want Your Kingdom present in the Ukraine. I need Your provision and sustenance; they need provision.'”

The resolve of Ukrainians who are fighting for their country is inspirational; and just an aside - why are certain people in the U.S. who decry fellow Christians for being "nationalists" seemingly OK with it when there is a stirring display of love for country in Ukraine?  Seems a bit odd to me - just a word from social media.  But, nevertheless, we can be motivated to love the things that are important. And, for the believer in Christ, we can be strong in the Lord.

You see, I think we probably all could stand to develop more resolve in our own lives. We can allow God to produce courage in our hearts and we can be bold to speak His truth. Because while those of us here in America are not staring down a tank or threatened by military explosives, there is an ideological war that is occurring, and as 2nd Corinthians reminds us, it's not against flesh and blood. There are ideas and ideals that are consistent with Scripture that are being assaulted, to the detriment of people who need to know the love of the Lord.  We have the Spirit's power resident in our hearts in order to give us the inner strength to be bold for Christ.