Jeremiah was a prophet who experienced great hardship. If we had to undergo the trials Jeremiah faced, we would likely not hold up as well as he did. We would find it hard to be joyful. Even residents of his hometown, Anathoth, were plotting to murder him. When the prophet grew impatient and complained to God about his wicked persecutors, God promised He would punish them: “Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine: And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation” (Jer. 11:21-23). Yet, God also gave Jeremiah a challenge for greater faith, asking, “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?” (Jer. 12:5.)
Jeremiah had become wearied or impatient with the footmen. False prophets who said Judah would never be destroyed contended with Jeremiah who faithfully preached the truth that God would use Babylon to punish Judah for her sins. God said of these false prophets, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied” (Jer. 23:21). The false prophets who contended with Jeremiah gave him a good run and caused him to become weary. But, things were about to get worse.
Jeremiah was weary when the land of Judah was still “a land of peace,” but soon Babylon would come with a flood of cavalry. The Hebrew word translated “contend” in Jeremiah 12:5 means to “become hot” or “angry” and it seems to refer to a heated race. Footmen had wearied Jeremiah, but he had not seen anything yet. Soon his race would be with horses.
Who can win a footrace with a horse? Oddly enough, there are races in our world that test this very question. Since 1980 an annual horse vs. man marathon has been held near Llanwrtyd Wells, a town in Wales. As one would expect, the horses have historically dominated in the 45 years. But humans have been winning more in recent years. The five human victories in 2004, 2007, 2022, 2023, and 2025 have generally featured hot weather conditions. In our own country, Prescott, AZ hosts a “Man Against Horse” race with steep terrain and distances up to 50 miles. The hotter the weather and the longer the distance, the better a man’s chances of outrunning a horse.
Sometimes we must go through a “fiery trial” (1 Pet. 4:12). Heat is necessary to refine us. Peter said, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:7). No matter how hard life gets, it could always be worse. God tested His people in ancient times in the “furnace of affliction” (Isa. 48:10). Today, we go through tests of our faith as well. Yet, we must not give up. We must remember that the Christian life is an endurance race, so “let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1, 2). “And let us not be weary in well doing: in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9; cf. 2 Thess. 3:13).
Jeremiah grew discouraged. The trials he underwent made him want to give up proclaiming God’s message: “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jer. 20:9). Jeremiah did not resign from his prophetic office, but trusted in God who tested him:
But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers (Jer. 20:11-13).
We can feel like Jeremiah at times. Does it seem like people are more interested in a comforting message than the truth? Does it seem like no one is listening? Are we discouraged when people turn away from what we have tried to teach them in God’s word?
Paul referred to his converts in Christ as various building materials; some could stand the heat better than others (1 Cor. 3:12). The day of trial would be like a fire to test his work: those he had converted to Christ (1 Cor. 3:13-15; 9:1). If they fell away, he would suffer loss; however, Paul would be saved if he continued to be faithful through the fire (1 Cor. 3:15). When the seed falls on rocky soil, the tender plant that sprouts up is scorched by the sun and withers away (Matt. 13:6; Mark 4:6). “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended” (Mark 4:16,17). Patience (endurance) is required to bring forth fruit (Luke 8:15). Keep fighting the good fight and keeping the faith until your race is finished and you receive the crown of righteousness at the last day (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
–Mark Day