Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 November 2026 Proverbs 24:10.
Proverbs 24:10. ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’
Aye friends, on this first catch our second wind Wednesday in November, it’s another fairly warm, but this time somewhat cloudy morning in my neighbourhood. However, I don’t think there’s a serious threat of rain, although we could use some heavenly showers of blessings. It’s certainly good to have lots of warm, sunshiny days at this time of the year, but as they say, too much of anything is not good. And if we continue with this dry spell, we’ll soon come like Bruh David says in Psalm 63, ‘a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.’ (Ps. 63:1b) And we definitely don’t want that to happen, so let’s pray for a little rain to moisten the ground and keep the streams flowing with beautiful water. For water is one of the life sources of living things, along with blood, breath and food.
And today, we’ll share an interesting article on a most important subject, ‘Success.’ I believe I’ve shared it before, but who knows. Anyway, last night while searching through some old papers, I suddenly saw this yellow sheet of foolscap amongst some other stuff. And, drawn to the unusual, coloured paper, I pulled it out, and was pleasantly surprised to find two interesting articles written on it. Unfortunately, neither gave any information about their origins, and I obviously don’t remember where I got them from. (smile) And, for want of a name, we’ll call todays offering, ‘The Road To Success.’
So please read with me: ‘The road to Success is not straight. There is a Curve called Failure… A Door called Confusion… Speed Bumps called Friends… Red Lights called Enemies… Caution Lights called Family… You will have Flats called Jobs, but if you have a Spare called Determination… An Engine called Perseverance… Insurance called Faith.. A Driver called Jesus.. You will make it to a place called Success.’ Now isn’t that the indisputable truth my fellow believers? With determination, perseverance, faith and Jesus, we can make a success of anything!
And obviously the most important aspect of the situation is Jesus, of whom Bruh Paul so rightly declares: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) Now as a Christian, that’s one of the first things we need to know and then believe: Jesus can empower us to do anything that He desires of us. And to cement that conclusion, Jesus Himself adds an interesting take on the flip side of the coin, when He tells the disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth for much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) So you get the picture? With Christ you can do any and everything, but without Him, you can do nothing!
Now, although Jesus will always be working with and around us on jobs that He desires us to fulfill, there will always be problems to overcome on that road to success, like the many curves, speed bumps, red lights, caution lights and flats, that we mentioned above. And though Jesus may remove some of those problems, most likely He won’t remove all of them, seeking possibly to test our mettle, our belief in Him. That’s where those things called determination, perseverance and faith come in. Now don’t get me wrong; Jesus will always help you through whatever storm you’re battling, but He won’t always extricate you from it.
As Bruh Paul says in 1 Corinthians: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) And the basic idea there is that God won’t always allow us to escape the temptation or the problem, but will ensure a way for us to work though whatever it is and come out in one piece on the other side. That means we need to develop what they call sticktoitiveness; that strong patience filled with plenty faith, or perseverance. The ability to hang in although the odds don’t seem to favour us.
And one of the first things we must also learn in our walk with Christ is that there’s no giving up in His kingdom. That’s why Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) That means every time you fall or fail, you need to get back up and keep going, obviously with the help of Jesus. And I like this other Proverb of Cousin Sol on the subject. ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’ (Prov. 24:10)
Oh yes! As the scholars explain: ‘Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of one’s endurance.’ And believe me, the Lord will test you in ways you won’t even understand, and sadly the only way to grow that faith and endurance we need to stand strong in adversity is by going through adversity. That’s the catch 22 situation. You only get strong by facing difficulty. The good thing though is that with every difficulty you face and come through with Jesus’ help, your faith gets stronger and you are able to walk a better Christian walk. And there are many scriptures on determination, perseverance and faith, but we don’t have time nor space for them, however, I believe this passage from Hebrews combines them all in a good explanation.
The author exhorts believers: ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience (perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry (delay). Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (destruction); but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.’ (Heb. 10:35-39) Yes friends, we don’t look forward to hell fire and damnation, but to heaven and Jesus, however, it’s not an easy task to walk the straight and narrow road that leads there. So we need to be strong, faithful and persevering.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for those who endure to the very end with Jesus, they have been promised an even more glorious future than they can ask or imagine. So let’s endure to the end with Jesus, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…rejoice in hope…be patient in tribulation…be constant in prayer… (Rom. 12:12)
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