“The Faint Hearted”

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

And he shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; (Deuteronomy 20:3)
 
Here God is advising Israel concerning their conduct in the midst of war.  He is describing the ideal soldier.  Such a soldier would not be fearful, nor faint-hearted, but courageous and trusting in the Lord.  The word faint means to be wanting in courage, or cowardly.  Such fear is a common experience in our spiritual lives.  Gods word has much to say about fainting.
 
Our Lord commands us to pray and faint not. (Lk. 18:1)  We have a gospel to proclaim and must not faint (II Cor. 4:1).  We are instructed ( Hb. 13:3) not to faint at the hardships of other Christians, nor to despise the Lords chastening or faint when rebuked of him. (Hb. 12:5)  We must not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.  (Gal. 6:9)
 
The soldier of Christ has a battle to fight and win.  On numerous occasions God commends the courageous and those who do not faint.  For example, to the church at Ephesus he says: I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. (Revelation 2:2-3)  Like brave soldiers we are to face the enemy with the armor God has given.  We are called to stand on the side of truth.
 
Hear the encouragement of Isaiah: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.(Isaiah 40:28-31)
 
By George Slover
 

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