This is a new series from Dr. Aikens entitled “Revelatory Words and Concepts” These revelatory nuggets are curated by Jane Babich from Bootcamp Teachings and Podcasts. All of these concepts are rooted in Apostle Aikens heart toward equipping ministries and ministers for the work of the end times.
Proverbs 24:10 tells us, “If we faint in the day of adversity; our strength is small.” The concept of “fainting” used in Proverbs 24 in Hebrew is “ra’phah,” it signifies “If we suddenly feel lackadaisical, sluggish, unresponsive as if dead, or if we back up, fall out or drawback from standing in our day of adversity; we have become part of the problem, not the solution.
Adversity
Adversity is unfavorable events, circumstances, or conditions marked by misfortune, tragedy, calamity, or distress.
Problem
A problem is an unwelcome or predicted situation preventing something from being achieved. It comes from the Greek word meaning an “obstacle,” or something that is in your way while waiting for someone to solve it.
Solution
A Solution is defined as an action or process of solving or providing an answer to an identified problem. For example, a needed or sought-after response to remove an obstacle that is apparently in the way of the desired action.
We become part of the problem and not the solution when we no longer care or say, “so what,” not caring who hears; we are too sick and tired to care anymore. If we feel too worn out, weak or discouraged; to press any further; the enemy uses us to be a problem.
Just as Israel in the book of Exodus, they persisted with slave mentalities despite being already delivered, so they felt small standing against adversity. Also, in Numbers 13, they felt they could not overcome and walk into their promised inheritance. They saw their strength as small and weak as grasshoppers.
Numbers 13:30-33
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Sadly, this declared, in their eyes, God’s strength was small! But not so!
They paid the price for seeing God’s strength on their behalf as small by having to wander forty years in the desert. Unbelief is costly.
Again our scripture Proverbs 24:10 tells us,
“If we faint in the day of adversity, our strength is small.”
Fainting is to lose strength and become senseless and motionless; to swoon and become hardly perceptive. When we are faint, we make unwise decisions and connect with the support that looks good but is not God. We speak without recognizing what God is doing in our life, and we quickly blame anyone or everyone for our lack of Godly response to adversity.
If we faint not, we shall reap in due season! There will always be adversity before we enter into our time of reaping; this time of testing comes to us all. But just as Galatians 6:9 declares, let us not be weary in well-doing for in our due season we shall reap, if we faint not!
Be encouraged by Moses in Exodus 14:13 when he told the people in adversity, “Stand and see the salvation of God.”
Exodus 14:1-13 (KJV)
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
And he made ready his chariot and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with a high hand.
But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.
And they said unto Moses Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou has taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord,
Our But God is if we trust in His strength within us, we will stand and see our God send the help needed, bringing us out in His strength. Never react in weary unwarranted fear, but with faith in who He is, always.
It is my privilege and honor to curate these revelatory concepts but to hear the podcast “Fainting in the Day of Adversity,” taught by Dr. Audrey Aikens, click here.
