Hello friends! A very warm welcome to Global Reachout! I wonder how many of us, at one time or another, have a certain sense of aimlessness and weariness in the routines of daily living. I know I do! How then can we live meaningful lives and continue to quest for the best in life, without retreating into fantasy or accepting mediocrity? Today, we begin a new series of 15 episodes, based on Pastor Daniel Foo’s book, Running with Horses: A Road Map to Victorious Living.

In his many years of ministry, Pastor Daniel Foo has encountered people of all ages and from all walks of life, who shared with him that they struggle with serving God in a meaningful capacity because of the stress and pressures in their lives. Whether they have issues in their family, relationships, studies or careers, these pressures seem to squeeze God out of their lives. In their struggle to cope, their faith is compromised.

Are you a young adult having an ungodly relationship which drains your energy to connect with your cell group and you struggle to go to church? Are you a parent who spends most of your weekdays late at work, having little time for your spouse and children, and beginning to feel that your walk with God is dry? Or are you a single in your fifties, worrying about whether you can stay healthy and financially independent after you retire? Such weariness is not new — the prophet Jeremiah experienced it himself! The book of Jeremiah in the Bible relates his calling from God to be a prophet to the nation of Judah and to predict her downfall because of her rebellion against God. 

In the first 11 chapters, as Jeremiah obeyed God and started his ministry as a prophet, he had to contend with idolatry, evil, opposition from the priests and the wickedness of the people. In Jeremiah 11, we read that there was a conspiracy to take his life! At that point, he became overwhelmed, discouraged and depressed. In the following chapter, he brought his complaint before God, asking, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?” (Jeremiah 12:1). The Lord replied Jeremiah by posing a question to him (paraphrased in the Bible version, The Message)

“So, Jeremiah, if you’re worn out in this footrace with men, what

makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can’t

keep your wits during times of calm, what’s going to happen when

troubles break loose like the Jordan in flood?” (Jeremiah 12:5, MSG)

The same lesson can describe the underlying struggles we face: if we often stumble and become weary in the ordinary areas that we should easily manage in our lives, how can we manage when we are stretched? As God puts it, if we struggle to run with footmen in the land of peace, how can we run with horses? How do we cope when the floods come, like in the regular flooding of the plains by the Jordan River?

But God says there is far more than that. To run with horses is to be stretched and challenged in our capacities and abilities, and yet be able to overcome these challenges and live victoriously. It is the soaring with wings like eagles, spoken of in Isaiah 40: 31. When we are strengthened, we become vessels in God’s hand to bless others. The question we ask is then: how can I move from being worn out and weary in everyday life, to having the capacity to serve God and run with horses?

This series based on Pastor Daniel Foo’s book, Running with Horses: A Road Map to Victorious Living has 2 parts. Part One draws out a road map leading through four milestones towards victorious living. Each milestone reveals facets of our lives which must be engaged and dealt with before we can progress to the next stage.

Part Two in this series provides practical handles and applications to protect, strengthen and enlarge our capacities (physical, mental, emotional, volitional and spiritual) to not only ‘walk with footmen’ but enable us to ‘run with horses’ and to eventually finish well.

In Part One, the four milestones are represented by four places – Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho and the River Jordan. At Gilgal, mentioned in the book of Joshua, chapter 5, the Israelites were preparing to cross the River Jordan, but they had not yet been circumcised. Then, they were circumcised prior to crossing the river. Gilgal represents the cutting of the flesh, which is our old sinful nature and carnality.

The second place is Bethel, first mentioned in Genesis, chapter 28 where Jacob encountered God. Bethel represents the milestone in life where we have significant encounters with God, resulting in life change. When we journey through Bethel, we experience the love of God, which casts out fear (1 John 4:18). We experience His peace which replaces stress, anxieties and fears.

The third milestone – Jericho – is first mentioned in Joshua, chapter 6. Joshua gained victory over Jericho when its walls were brought down. Jericho is about tearing down ‘strongholds’ in our lives that prevent us from progressing.

The last stage is the Jordan River, where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land. The River Jordan represents the Spirit-filled, Spirit empowered life, where we are enlarged and strengthened in our capacities to walk with God and serve him. At Jordan, we have already dealt with the flesh, encountered God and gained victory over the strongholds in our lives. We can then serve from the overflow of our walk with God and in His fullness.

In the next episode, we will look into the first milestone at Gilgal.

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