Running With The Horses
Jeremiah 12:5
Rev. Susan Lee
“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5
When God teaches His people, He often uses contrasts to help His people understand His point.
Here in Jeremiah 12:5 God contrasts men with horses, land of peace and the swelling of Jordan. It was to rebuke an impatient Jeremiah who was frustrated that the people of Israel were not listening to his warnings of God’s consequences to Israel’s sins. Their unwillingness to turn from their sins and turn towards God and His laws. Their sins were idolatry by adopting the Canaanite gods and social injustice against their own people by not looking after the most vulnerable in their community.
The book of Jeremiah is words of warnings but also words of hope. That God does not leave His people in the consequences of their sin but offers them hope out of those consequences.
This summer a team of 36 (28 students and 8 adults) to Vancouver.
Here we served on the most dangerous street in Canada (East Hastings Ave). A street filled with tents, drugs, and violence. Where they saw over 1400 deaths in the past 12 months.
I was told it was the wrong time for me to take the children to Vancouver when the pandemic was not over. Why would I take the kids when the pandemic was not over? I faced opposition but I dug my heels in. I wanted to show people that we couldn’t be afraid of COVID and that we needed to go out into the mission field.
Our trip started well. The students had completed Rose ministry – taking roses and praying for women on the streets. They served sandwiches, made food and served in worship. On our 5th day into the trip we had our 1st Covid case in our team. By day 6 we had 4 people. By Sun we had 13 people in the Covid room.
I was devastated. I was ready to resign ….
Conversation with P.Jaeseok …. Reminder of Elijah when God spoke to him after the battle with the prophets of Baal.
The woman at the window …
Recommitment of myself and the students ….
We prayed then God worked in amazing ways through our team …
There was a man who cried asking “How do I learn more about God’s Word?”
The children used the 4 spiritual laws to evangelize.
We had amazing conversations.
Closing words:
What did God teach show us? That God is working through Covid. We are not supposed to wait until Covid is over. In 1918 the Spanish Flu shut down all the churches. It was the buildings that were shut down but not the churches. Christians went to the impoverished neighbourhoods and clothed and fed the needy. They nursed the sick. They did not stay locked down in their homes. We are called as a church to move into our communities, to not be afraid. The time is now to do Missions with Covid. We can no longer afford to lose more souls … We need to take the gospel to streets.