Horses, Thickets and Cocoons.
| "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?" (Jeremiah12:5) |
Jeremiah had one of the toughest ministries in the Old Testament. He had to repeatedly call an unrepentant Israel to "Shoev" (repent). It was a tough call and a tough congregation. During his ministry Jeremiah was locked in stocks, people plotted to kill him, he was beaten and thrown into a muddy pit and was dragged off to Egypt by a rebellious king.
Throughout the book Jeremiah is brutally honest and wrestles with God over all that is happening. While it is not easy to read, his candid wrestling with God provides us with a strange degree of "comfort" because of the honesty of the relationship and the fact that Jeremiah gets through it with faith intact and a deep love for his people still burning in his heart.
In chapter 11 Jeremiah experiences resistance from his own people who plot against him to end his life and silence him permanently. They confront him and threaten him: "Be silent - or else!"
This shakes Jeremiah to the core and he's ready to give up on them. His attitude is "Drag them off like sheep to be slaughtered!"
Surprisingly God does not comfort Jeremiah, but confronts him.
"Do you think it's going to get any easier???"
The point of God's question is that Jeremiah can't compete with horses. No man can. And no-one's skin is thick enough for the thorny thickets of Jordan. He will need help.The only way to survive is to enter the battle with God's help. The only way to manage is to realise that I can't depend on people or my skill, my learning, my experience or even my track-record. There will come a time that I have to admit that I need help.
Coming to our own situation:
Not only has lockdown been extended, but after lockdown, we will emerge chrysalis-like from our cocoon into a changed world. We don't go back the same as we were and we are not returning to the same world we remember. This is not going to be a sprint, but a marathon. We are not competing with men, we are competing with horses, we are running into a thicket. We will need help.And so, one of our critical tasks during this lockdown "cacoon", is to become all that God can make us to be. We are going to need His help. We are going to need to become part of the solution. We are to be agents of resurrection.
This means we will need:- Radical Dependence on God
- A deep well of resilience and stamina
- A mindset devoted to helping others and making a difference
- A commitment to personal growth and renewal (being the best we can be)
And it starts by admitting that we will need help.
| "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?" (Jeremiah12:5) |
