Jump Start # 1017

Proverbs 24:10 “If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited.”

  This verse speaks what we already know. Other versions translate this: “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!” A person often doesn’t know how much or how little strength they have until they have to use it. In those dark days and deep valleys of life is where we must walk by faith and trust in the Lord.

A fair weather golfer is one who only golfs in nice weather. If it’s too windy, too cold, too rainy, too hot, too expensive, or “too anything” you’ll not find the fair weather golfer on the links. He only plays if the weather is nice. Some are fair weather Christians. They can be counted on and found walking with God when things are going well. Have a job, money in pocket, health in the body, vacation planned, kids doing well—you’ll see them at church. However, when life throws a curve ball, as it always does, then they struggle. Loss of job, mamma in the hospital, along comes discouragement, depression, doubt, fear, and questions about what they really believe. What happened? As our verse indicates, in the day of distress or trouble, they faltered because their strength was small.

David fighting Goliath is a classic example of one whose faith was strong and courageous. His brothers doubted him. King Saul had reservations about him. Goliath laughed and taunted him. In the day of distress, David remained steadfast because his faith was strong.

All of us will face distresses and trouble. They come in various sizes and times in our lives. They often come more than just one at a time. James wrote, “Consider all joy, brethren, when you encounter various trials…” They come. Too often, much too often, we spend a huge amount of effort and time trying to figure out the best ways to avoid trouble. No one likes trouble. However, it seems a better thing to do is spend our time strengthening ourselves so when they do come, we will not falter. Get strong.

Jesus ended the sermon on the mount with the story of the wise man and the foolish man. Both built houses. Both encountered storms of wind, rain and flood. The foolish man built on the sand. His house collapsed. He faltered in a time of trouble. His strength was small. The wise man, taking the time during sunny days, to build a solid foundation upon the Lord, endured the storm because his strength was great.

Now we can whine and complain about the storms we are going through. We can have a real pity party about such things. We can declare that “life’s not fair.” We can get angry. We can blow a gasket. We can play the blame game. All those things do is make the storms and trials worse. Pain is inevitable, as a dear author friend once wrote, but misery is optional. You can’t stop the troubles. You can decide what the troubles will do to you. Those with small strength will suffer. The troubles will set them back. For some, they will be conquered and destroyed by the troubles. We see that. Faith gone. Thrown in the towel on Jesus. They anticipated a trouble-free walk when they became a Christian. They were quickly disillusioned. The journey can be uphill at times. The journey takes one through dark valleys. The journey can seem long. And then the trouble hits. These things aren’t supposed to happen to Christians, is what the small in faith are convinced of. Instead of turning to the Lord, they turn from the Lord. Back to the world. Back to the bottle. Back to the pills. Back to bed. Convinced that Jesus is a joke and Christianity is a sham, they rejoin the legions of the lost. Prayers gone. Bible chucked. All goodness and decency slowly evaporates from their soul. Miserable. Angry. Bitter. They point fingers at the church. They curse goodness and good people. Why? What happened? They faltered in times of trouble because their strength was small. It wasn’t the trials. It wasn’t the church. It certainly wasn’t Jesus. It was their small faith.

When days are sunny, that’s when we need to build our faith. We need to shore up our foundations. Prayer needs to be often and strong. Bible reading deep and regular. Attendance to church services a must. Active, growing, participating. That strength will grow and grow. Then when troubles come, and they do, there won’t be any faltering, stumbling, quitting, doubting or giving up. No sir, not for the one who has strong faith. You won’t find him whining, complaining, fussing or blowing a gasket. He won’t doubt, get angry, nor blame others. He’s made differently. He’s made strong. He’s standing upon the rock and that rock is Jesus.

I’ve see this very thing. I’ve seen folks off to serious, long, brain surgery. What great faith they had. I’ve stood beside tearful parents as they buried their child, what great faith and thankfulness they demonstrated. I’ve seen the parents of prodigals. Broken hearted and disappointed in the choices of their children, but ever holding to the hands of God. These folks never skipped a beat with the Lord. They were found in attendance during their troubles. Their prayers continued upward. They looked deeply into the word of God. And today, these folks are continuing their walk with the Lord. They face new troubles and new challenges, but they will get through them because they have seen and they know by faith, that the Lord is always with them.

The same sun will melt wax or harden clay—it’s based upon what they are made of, or, how small their strength is. The same is with us. The same trouble will make one person bitter and another stronger in the Lord. The same trouble will be enough for some to quit and others to count their blessings. It’s not the trouble, it’s what we are made of. It’s how large or how small our strength is.

Falter or stand…small or great? Don’t wait until it’s too late to find out.

These are the days to get strong.

(Thanks to my incredible friend Don, for sharing this idea with me).

Roger