Be Strong

“If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee,

then how canst thou contend with horses?”

Jeremiah 12.5

In the above verse Jeremiah is actually facing a very personal struggle.  He is being persecuted by the people of his own town and family.

In this the Lord challenges him to be strong, “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses?”  Jeremiah sees that he needs to be strong.  This is only the twelfth chapter in the book of Jeremiah’s life – so to speak.  He has only experienced “running with the footmen” up till now!  If that has exhausted him, then what is he going to do when he has to run with “the horses”?  Jeremiah needs to be strong and trust in the Lord!

Here is one way this applies to us today.

In our spiritual lives we will “run with the footmen”.  There will be times when we have to put in every effort, times when life will take all of our strength, times when we will have to give everything we have got to “run with the footmen” – and it may weary us!

Then there are times we will have to run with the horses... and as men we cannot run, we cannot contend with the horses!  That’s why the Lord is asking “how canst thou...?”  If we are ever able to “contend with the horses” we will need... the Lord!  It will take something beyond our own human wisdom or strength.

Like Jeremiah, we will know the difference.  Sometimes we can do alright in our own strength – but the time comes when our own strength can do nothing for us.  When the time comes, I pray we will know the difference, I pray we will have made it a practice to be strong... in the Lord!

                                                                                Run with patience,

                                                                                                         Pastor