Proverbs 24:10

I recently finished reading through Proverbs and found this little gem that I never noticed before:

• If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Proverbs 24:10

The Hebrew word for "faint" can literally mean drop your hands from work; to be so tired, that you can't lift your hands. Figuratively, that translates to losing heart, being discouraged, not having the energy to keep going. Basically, giving up.

Have you ever felt like that? I feel that temptation every day. Whether it's reading my Bible, praying, trusting God for the selling of my house, leading family Bible time, talking with my kids about having a spiritual perspective regarding something they did, the list goes on and on. I can choose to glorify God and exercise spiritual strength. Or I can give up, lose heart, put it off until tomorrow or faint when the big trials in life come.

This proverb reminds me of James 1:2-3 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." The Greek word for endurance can be translated fortitude, staying power or spiritual toughness.

Trials can produce spiritual strength in us. Or they can show that our spiritual strength is small. But the key moment is the crucial decision point, especially in the little things. We will choose to obey God and take that moment to pray? Will we choose to memorize that verse? Will we choose to read that Christian book? If we do in the dozens of little decisions daily, we will gain spiritual strength, toughness and fortitude by the grace of God. If we don't, we will faint in the big days of adversity and show that our strength is small.