Proverbs 24:10,  If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

This proverb gives us an ability to know when our strength is small.

The Word of God is filled with understandings about our self which reveal to us how we stand as measured against God's standards.

This proverb says that if we are prone to faint when adversity comes this fainting reveals in us a weakness.

Faint as used here means to sink into dejection; to lose courage or spirit.

The knowledge that we have a weakness, when applied to a heart that is yielded to God should be an encouragement to us to be stronger.

But how strong should we be? How strong do you need to be?

The mark of a good engineer is to design a building that will resist all of the forces that may go against it.

In other words the strength of a building is determined by what that building has to resist.

The strength then, varies according to what purpose the building serves.

It varies according to where the building is.

It varies according to the weather where it is to be built?

Here is a map of the United States showing what winds are expected for various areas.

It shows that in this area of the Gulf Coast, during a 25 year period, we can expect winds up to 127 mph.

Other areas of the country can expect winds of lesser velocity.

Wind velocities need to be taken into consideration in design of a building. Wind force must be resisted every day by structures.

Here is a map of the snow that can be expected in various areas of the United States.

For this area we do not include snow load as a factor in our structural design considerations.

Some areas of the country such as in Maine or Wisconsin must design buildings to hold up to 100 pounds of snow per square foot.

This chart shows the various live loads that can be expected by the type of building the engineer is designing.

School classrooms are designed for 40 lbs per square foot while heavy manufacturing buildings are designed for 250 lbs per square foot.

The point that I am making is, the kind of building that is being built determines how strong the building should be.

What about you? What is with your building?

The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 3:9, says,  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

This then is what determines the strength needed for you.

If God is building you, he is building you for a specific purpose.

That purpose is to be like Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ did not faint in times of adversity and God's desire for you is that you do not faint in times of adversity.

God is a builder of strong buildings.

Does he need you to survive the snow load of Maine, the hurricane winds of Florida?

What adversities is he building you for. Whatever it is he does not build you to faint in times of adversities.

In Ephesians 6:10 he tells us to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

To do this we put on the whole amour of God

having our loins girt about with truth,

and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

and our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; taking the shield of faith,

and taking the helmet of salvation,

and the sword of the Spirit,

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

The strengthening of the amour of God is necessary for this body of flesh that we live in.