When You Are About To Faint

When You Are About To Faint

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Fainting is a very unpleasant and undesirable experience. It produces an overwhelming sense of weakness, disorientation, and loss of consciousness. Fainting typically is not a fatal condition, but fainters do experience somewhat of a physical, mental and emotional crisis.

It is interesting that in Scripture, faintheartedness is often used to portray a personal crisis in the life of an individual. Esau was faint because of hunger (Gen. 25:29-30). Jacob fainted because of the shocking news that Joseph was alive in Egypt (Gen. 45:26). The inhabitants of Jericho were faint with fear because of the Israelites (Josh. 2:9). Gideon’s men grew faint because of exhaustion while pursuing the Midianites (Jud. 8:4). Jeremiah spoke of faintness that was the result of sorrow (Jer. 8:18). In each case there was a total sense of helplessness that made life seem overwhelming.

The Bible even gives the accounts of several men of God who experienced a spiritual crisis to such a proportion that they despaired even of life. Moses (Num. 11:15), Elijah (1 Ki. 19:4), Job (Job 3:20-21) and Jonah (Jon. 4:3) all came to the point where life seemed so unlivable that they requested to die. In each case God ministered to their great need by helping them recover from this difficult condition of faintheartedness.

Men and women of God need to prepare for those times when the burdens, battles and busyness of life lead to a crisis of faintheartedness.

God’s Six-Step Cure For Fainting
1. Always dwell on God’s goodness. David wrote, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Ps. 27:13). An attitude of gratitude will keep a person God-centered rather than self-centered. Self-centered people concentrate only on themselves, and refuse to see God working in and through their lives. It is amazing how a simple brag-on-God time can radically change the attitudes and outlook of those who are heavy hearted. A good dose of praise can quickly relieve a case of faintheartedness.

2. Renew your strength by waiting on God. Isaiah 40:31 provides a great source for renewed strength: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Time spent alone with God refocuses our attention on the greatness of our God rather than on the circumstances around us. When we get to know God well, we realize that He is bigger than any problem we may face in life.

3. Be faithful in prayer. Jesus had a very specific solution to help the disciples prevent faintheartedness. Luke 18:1 says, “He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” When we pray we are uniquely acknowledging our need of God and our dependence on Him. Prayer opens the door for God to do what only God can do on our behalf. A self-sufficient person will try to “tough it out” on his/her own while functioning independently of God. Prayer is a verbal expression of an attitude that says, “God, I need you!”

4. Renew your inner man daily. Second Corinthians 4:16 says, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” It is a well-known fact that the physical make-up of man is extremely frail and fragile, requiring much care. However, the man or woman of God should devote more care to the part of life that will live as long as God lives. We are simply talking about a right perspective of time and eternity. Faintheartedness plagues us when we live for the here-and-now of this temporal life rather than the then-and-there of eternal life. But it is interesting to note that while considering something eternal, we still must take life one day at a time.

5. Continue on persistently. In Galatians 6:9 we are given some specific counsel for those who want to quit: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” In living for God, it is easy to become results oriented. However, this can lead to great disappointment when expectations are not fulfilled. In God’s eyes, faithfulness is of greater value even than success. It is best to press on faithfully, recognizing that in His time and in His way, God will bring about the results He desires.

6. Look to Jesus. He provides a great example of someone who would not quit. We read in Hebrews 12:2-3, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Anybody can quit! It doesn’t take any character to quit! The Bible makes it clear that there is great reward for those who start, run and finish the race well.

In 1 Samuel 30, David faced a personal crisis. He was attacked by enemies who took his family captive and burned his city. He and the people wept until they had no more ability to weep. Then David became greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him. Needless to say, a case of faintheartedness was about to overtake him. However in 1 Samuel 30:6 it says that “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” David found that getting in touch and staying in touch with God was the cure. His encouragement came from God and he survived despite all that seemed to be against him. The cure for faintheartedness is all about God. He is the one we truly need.

By Tom Palmer