Are You Running With The Horses? Enduring Trials That Prepare Us For Greater Battles

How God Uses Present Struggles To Strengthen His People For The Floodwaters Ahead

Scripture  Reference: – Jeremiah 12:1, 5

“Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;

Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.

Why does the way of the wicked prosper?

Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?”

“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,

Then how can you contend with horses?

And if in the land of peace,

In which you trusted, they wearied you,

Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?”                        

Some Personal Reflection

More than ten years ago, I wrote a devotional entitled Are You Running With The Horses, drawn from the prophet Jeremiah’s astonishing words in Jeremiah 12. I searched for that original piece, but like many things stored on an old computer long since gone, it appears to be lost. Yet in a very real sense, its message was never lost—because God was not finished writing it into my life. So I decided to write a new devotional and hopefully it will be a blessing to my readers.  It seems like kind of a goofy metaphor, but keep asking yourself the question as you  read  this;  are you running with the footman or with the horses.

To my readers—at first glance, this may seem like a strange or even awkward metaphor. Running with footmen? Contending with horses? It’s not language we use in everyday life, and it can almost feel distant or difficult to connect with.

But don’t rush past it.

This imagery, given by God Himself in Jeremiah 12:5, is meant to stop us, to make us think, and ultimately to search our own hearts.

So as you read through this devotional, I want you to keep coming back to this simple but penetrating question:

Am I running with the footmen… or am I running with the horses?

In other words:

• Am I being worn down by the everyday struggles of life—the pressures, frustrations, and disappointments that come to all of us?

• Or am I in a season of deeper testing, where the trial is heavier, the burden is greater, and the need for God is more urgent than ever?

And perhaps even more importantly:

• How am I responding in the season I’m in?

Because that’s really the heart of the metaphor.

The “footmen” represent the trials that test us—but are meant to train us.

The “horses” represent the trials that stretch us—but also reveal what has been built within us.

God is not asking this question to confuse us—He is asking it to prepare us.

So don’t get hung up on the wording. Instead, let the weight of it settle in.

Where are you right now in your walk with God?

What kind of race are you running?

And are you allowing God to strengthen you in it?

Keep that question before you as we move forward—because by the end of this study, you may find that it’s not just a metaphor…

It’s a mirror.

When I first studied that passage, I was deeply moved by its meaning. The imagery gripped me: the footmen… and then the horses. At the time, I understood it mostly in theory. I could explain it, teach it, even apply it in a general way. But I had not yet lived it in its fullest sense.

For much of my earlier life, I had been spared from the kind of crushing trials that bring a man to the brink. Certainly, there were struggles—as there always are—but nothing that completely unraveled the soul. Life, in many ways, had been what Jeremiah might call “the land of peace.”

But then everything changed...

After raising seven children and walking through twenty-five years of marriage, Cynthia and I entered a season that can only be described in the language of this very passage—we began running with the horses.

In 2004, we experienced the devastating loss of our precious firstborn son, James. He died in a hospital shortly after a horrific car accident while traveling home from the East Coast to our home in Texas. The shock, the grief, the unbearable weight of that moment—it is something no words can fully capture.

And then, just a year and a half later, our beautiful daughter Laura Ann also went home to be with the Lord under tragic circumstances—too painful to recount here.

TWO children --> GONE !

I remember feeling as though chains had wrapped themselves around my soul and were pulling tight with relentless force. The kind of pain that does not just wound—it pierces, it lingers, it reshapes everything. There were moments when I genuinely wondered how we would go on. No parent is meant to bury their children.

Looking back, I can say this with clarity: those were not “footmen” trials.

Those were horses.

Those were floodplain moments—when the waters rise, when everything feels unstable, when faith is no longer theoretical but desperately necessary.

It was there, in that deep valley, that the words of Jeremiah 12:5 took on a meaning I had never known before. God was not merely asking a question—He was revealing a truth:

He prepares His people in stages.

He strengthens them through lesser trials for greater ones.

And when the horses come, it is not by accident—but by divine appointment.

What I once studied, I was now living.

What I once explained, I now had to cling to.

And I learned something that only suffering can teach:

God’s grace is not always seen in the removal of the trial, but in the sustaining of the soul.

As we now turn to this powerful passage in Jeremiah, I want you to understand—this is not merely a lesson in endurance. It is a window into how God shapes His people through every season of life.

Some of you are running with footmen right now—pressures, struggles, disappointments that are wearing you down.

Others are already facing horses—trials so heavy you wonder if you can take another step.

And some of you are standing in the floodplain, where the waters have risen and everything feels uncertain.

Wherever you are, this passage speaks directly to you.

Because the same God who spoke to Jeremiah…

is the same God who is strengthening you.

And the question still stands:

Are you ready to run with the horses?  Amen.                                       

Introduction: The Cry Of A Weary Prophet

Jeremiah is not standing on a mountaintop in chapter 12—he is in a valley.

This is not the bold, thundering prophet calling down judgment. This is a broken man asking hard questions:

“Lord… why are the wicked prospering?”

Jeremiah had done everything right:

• He preached truth without compromise

• He stood alone when others bowed

• He obeyed when it cost him everything

And what did he receive in return?

• Rejection

• Betrayal

• Threats on his life—even from his own hometown

In fact, just before this chapter, the men of Anathoth (his own people) were plotting to KILL him (Jeremiah 11:21).

So Jeremiah does what every honest believer eventually does—he brings his complaint to God.

But God’s answer is not what we expect...

...God does not explain.

...God does not comfort first.

...God challenges.

“If the footmen have wearied you… what will you do when the horses come?”

This is not rebuke without purpose—it is preparation.

Backdrop Of Jeremiah 12: A Prophet Under Pressure

At this point in Jeremiah’s life:

• Judah is deep in rebellion against God

• Idolatry is everywhere

• Judgment is coming through Babylon

• False prophets are preaching peace while destruction looms

Jeremiah stands alone as a voice of truth.

And because of that:

• He is hated

• He is misunderstood

• He is targeted

Even worse, those who are wicked seem to thrive.

This creates a tension in Jeremiah’s heart:

• He knows God is just

• But what he sees doesn’t match what he expects

Sound familiar?

This is where many believers—especially those behind prison walls—live daily.

And it is here that God speaks one of the most penetrating truths in all of Scripture:

Your current trial is training, not punishment.                                

Main Point #1: The Footmen – Present Trials That Test Our Endurance

The “footmen” represent the trials Jeremiah is already facing.

These are not small—but they are not the worst yet.

They include:

• Emotional strain

• Rejection

• Confusion

• Spiritual fatigue

And Jeremiah is already weary.

God’s message is clear:

“If this is exhausting you… what will happen when greater trials come?”

This is not God being harsh—it is God being honest.

The Principle

God uses current struggles to build spiritual endurance.

As Charles Spurgeon once said:

“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.”

Endurance is not built in comfort—it is forged in pressure

Biblical Examples

• David faced lions and bears before Goliath

• Joseph endured the pit and prison before the palace

• Paul suffered beatings before writing epistles that would shape eternity

None of them skipped the “footmen.”

Application

Many believers fail here—they want:

• Victory without struggle

• Strength without strain

• Growth without pain

But God’s way is different.

The footmen are training grounds.                                                       

Main Point #2: –  The Horses – Greater Trials That Demand Greater Strength

The “horses” represent trials of greater intensity and consequence.

War horses were fast, powerful, and overwhelming.

God is saying:

“Jeremiah… harder days are coming.”

And history confirms it:

• Imprisonment

• Beatings

• Being thrown into a cistern

• Watching Jerusalem fall

The horses did come.

The Principle

God prepares His servants for future battles through present struggles.

As John Calvin noted:

“God does not test us beyond our strength, but strengthens us through the test.”

The Danger

If we collapse under smaller burdens, we will not stand under heavier ones.

This is why spiritual discipline matters:

• Prayer

• Scripture

• Obedience

These are not optional—they are preparation.

A Hard Truth

God is more committed to your growth than your comfort.

Main Point #3: The Land Of Peace – Seasons Of Stability That Still Reveal Weakness

This phrase is often overlooked, but it is deeply revealing.

“If in the land of peace… they wearied you…”

This refers to seasons where life is relatively stable.

No crisis. No storm. No overwhelming pressure.

And yet—even here—Jeremiah is weary.

The Principle

If we are spiritually weak in peaceful seasons, we will not survive stormy ones.

As Martin Luther said:

“The man who has not been tested, what does he know?”

But we might add:

The man who wastes peaceful seasons will not endure testing seasons.

Common Mistake

Many believers waste their “land of peace”:

• Neglecting prayer

• Ignoring Scripture

• Drifting spiritually

Then when the storm comes—they collapse.

God’s Design

Peaceful seasons are not for coasting.

They are for:

• Strengthening

• Deepening

• Preparing                                                                                       

Main Point #4: The Floodplain Of The Jordan – Overwhelming Trials That Expose Everything

The floodplain of the Jordan was dangerous.

When the river overflowed:

• The land became unstable

• Predators were driven out

• Survival became difficult

This is a picture of overwhelming crisis

The Principle

There are seasons in life that will test everything you claim to believe.

These are:

• Loss

• Suffering

• Isolation

• Deep affliction

And in those moments:

• Faith is proven real or exposed as shallow

As R.C. Sproul said:

 “It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that saves you.”

Encouragement

God does not send you into the floodplain unprepared.

If you have walked faithfully through:

• Footmen

• Horses

• Peaceful seasons

Then you will stand—even when the waters rise.                                

Prison Application: Running Your Race Behind The Walls

For those behind prison walls, this passage speaks with unique power.

You are already running with footmen:

• Separation from family

• Regret over the past

• Daily pressures of prison life

But God is asking: “What am I preparing you for?”

1. Your Current Struggle Is Not Wasted

Every hardship can:

• Harden your heart

  or

• Strengthen your faith

2. God Is Training You For Life Beyond These Walls

Many men fail after release—not because they lacked opportunity, but because they lacked endurance.

God is building something deeper:

• Character

• Stability

• Dependence on Him

3. Do Not Waste Your “Land Of Peace”

Even in prison, there are moments of quiet.

Use them:

• Read the Word

• Pray deeply

• Grow intentionally

4. Prepare For The “Horses” Ahead

Life outside will bring:

• Temptation

• Pressure

• Old influences

What you build now will determine how you stand then.

5. Trust God In The Floodplain

Some of you are already there.

Overwhelmed. Broken. Exhausted.

But hear this:

God has not abandoned you—He is shaping you.

Final Thoughts: Strength For The Race Ahead

Jeremiah did not get an easy answer—but he got a necessary one.

God did not remove the trial—He reframed it.

This is the heart of the message:

• Your struggle is not meaningless...

• Your weariness is not unnoticed...

• Your hardship is not punishment...

...It is PREPARATION.

As Billy Graham said:

 “Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.”

God is growing something in you:

• Endurance

• Faith

• Strength

And one day, you will look back and realize:

The footmen prepared you for the horses.

The peace prepared you for the flood.

And God was faithful through it all.  

Reflection Questions

1. What “footmen” are currently wearing you down?

2. How might God be using these to prepare you for greater challenges?

3. Have you been faithful in your “land of peace”?

4. What spiritual disciplines do you need to strengthen?

5. Are you resisting or embracing God’s training?

6. What “horses” might be ahead in your life?

7. How can you begin preparing now?

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We come before You as men who are often weary from the race. Some are running with footmen and already feel exhausted. Others are facing horses—trials that seem too strong to overcome. And many, Lord, feel as though they are drowning in the floodplain.

But You are sovereign over every step.

Strengthen these men, Lord. Build endurance in their hearts. Teach them to trust You not only in the storm, but in the quiet seasons as well.

For those behind prison walls, remind them that they are not forgotten. Use this time to shape them, to refine them, and to prepare them for what lies ahead.

Give them courage to keep running...

...Faith to keep believing...

...And strength to endure to the end.

May they one day run with the horses—not in fear, but in victory.

We ask all of this in the mighty and merciful name of Jesus Christ,

Amen!

From: Fight the Good Fight of Faith / Life Journal: by Gregg Harris