Judges 8:4 “And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.”
What is the slowest month of the year for you? Is it a month in the fall or spring? March is that month for me. I feel like March doesn’t know what it is! Should it be spring, or should it still be winter? In fact, the worst weather I have ever encountered has been in March! Back in college, when the calendar rolled to March, everything seemed to become monotonous to me. The same stairs, the same schedule-I dreaded March! I don’t know about you, but for me March seems like the slowest month of the whole year.
When I read Judges 8:4, I think of the month of March. Gideon and his army of three hundred men were chasing the Midianites, and the Bible records that they were “faint, yet pursuing them.” When life seems to drag you down, and you find yourself stuck in a rut, remember verse 4: “faint, yet pursuing.”
Some people think it is a virtue to be faint. They are always talking about how tired and worn out they are! Being faint, in and of itself, is not a virtue. Being on your last leg is not necessarily a good thing.
Others think that pursuing is the main thing. They always talk about how busy they are! Yes, having something to pursue may necessitate longer hours and more energy, but your goal should not be a certain number of hours or just being busy all the time.
The point is, it is neither faint nor pursuing that is important; what you are pursuing is important! Gideon pursued even when he was faint because he had something important and God-given to go after. The Bible encourages us to “not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9) When you are busy in “well doing,” you will be tempted to quit. When that happens, remember the example of Gideon when he was “faint, yet pursuing.”
You may very well be weary in well doing this morning. Take heart and be encouraged that “in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” If you are busy pursuing, make sure that what you are pursuing is important. As you go after what God has given you to do, may this be said of you: “faint, yet pursuing.”