Running with Horses - Encouragement for Today - January 19, 2026

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Melissa FairchildJanuary 19, 2026

Running With Horses
MELISSA FAIRCHILD, COMPEL Pro Member

Lee en español

“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?” Jeremiah 12:5 (NIV)

I thought I was strong — until the weight of single parenting left me gasping for air. The day-to-day felt like a race I could never win, with bills piling, loneliness pressing, and children needing more than I had to give.

I felt similar to Jeremiah in today’s key verse: I could barely keep up with the footraces of life, much less imagine running with horses.

In Jeremiah 12:1, the prophet asked God some questions many of us whisper in the dark: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” (NIV). In other words, Why does it seem like I’m barely surviving while others who don’t even honor You are thriving?

God responded, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?” (Jeremiah 12:5a).

At first that might sound almost harsh, as though God was brushing off Jeremiah’s pain. But God wasn’t dismissing Jeremiah; He was preparing him.

It’s like God was saying, This isn’t the end of your story. If you’re tired here, in the “safe country,” how will you endure when the path gets wilder, the stakes higher? I am training you for more.

What looked to Jeremiah like opposition was actually preparation. The weariness of his current footrace was building the endurance he would need for harder seasons ahead.

I think about my own life through that lens. The job loss that unraveled my security. The rejection that made me question my worth. The long nights of single parenting where exhaustion sang louder than hope. Each of those races left me breathless, but they also became my training ground. They were not wasted. They were building spiritual muscle memory for the moments God would ask me to step into deeper waters and denser thickets — yes, even to run with horses.

Friend, maybe you’re in your own footrace today, weary from the grind, confused by the unfairness, wondering why others seem to flourish while you’re just holding on. Can I whisper this encouragement? What you’re facing is not the finish line. It’s the training ground. God sees your exhaustion, and He isn’t shaming you for it. He’s strengthening you through it.

For those following hard after God, the race will quicken. The call will grow louder. And you and I will find that the hard things that left us stumbling have now equipped us to run with endurance we didn’t know we had.

Lord, You see my tired places where I feel worn out from the everyday race. Thank You that You don’t shame my weakness — You strengthen me. Train my heart to lean on You, not my own stamina. When the path gets harder and the pace picks up, remind me that I don’t run alone. Teach me to run with You, even as fast as horses. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

40 Days Through the New Testament: Knowing the Savior Who Steadies Our Uncertainty starts in just a few days! When you give to Proverbs 31 Ministries, you’re helping women all over the world encounter the Truth of God’s Word right when they need it most — and as a thank-you, you’ll receive 40 Days Through the New Testament. This eight-week study will guide you through the life of Jesus and the early Church, helping you see how His promises bring abundant life today. Inside, you’ll find daily readings, reflection questions, and practical tools to help you grow spiritually, trade fear for hope, and deepen your understanding of who God is. Don’t miss this opportunity to stir up your faith — and help another woman do the same. Give now!

width

ENGAGE

The author of today’s devotion, Melissa Fairchild, is a member of COMPEL Pro Writers Training and a recent winner of our Encouragement for Today Devotion Writing Challenge. We celebrate the way God is growing and using her gift of writing.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us …” (NIV).

Where in your life do you feel like you’re worn out or stumbling? How might God be using this season to build endurance in you for something greater?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2026 by Melissa Fairchild. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links


September 26 - Phoenix, AZ
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts


November 2 - Detroit, MI
Zion Christian Church in Troy


October 6 - Los Angeles, CA
Pasadena Convention Center


November 5 - San Antonio, TX
Norris Centers – The Grand Red Oak Ballroom


October 8 - Sacramento, CA
William Jessup University


November 7 - Tampa, FL
The Palladium at St. Pete College


October 22 - Minneapolis, MN
Crowne Plaza AiRE


November 15 - San Francisco, CA
Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley


October 23 - Philadelphia, PA
Green Valley Country Club


November 16 - Denver, CO
CU South Denver - Formerly Wildlife Experience


November 2 - Chicago, IL
Chicago Westin Northwest in Itasca


November 21 - Cleveland, OH
Holiday Inn Rockside in Independence



Salem Radio Network Speakers

Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

Sponsored by:

Running with Horses - Encouragement for Today - January 19, 2026

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Melissa FairchildJanuary 19, 2026

Running With Horses
MELISSA FAIRCHILD, COMPEL Pro Member

Lee en español

“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?” Jeremiah 12:5 (NIV)

I thought I was strong — until the weight of single parenting left me gasping for air. The day-to-day felt like a race I could never win, with bills piling, loneliness pressing, and children needing more than I had to give.

I felt similar to Jeremiah in today’s key verse: I could barely keep up with the footraces of life, much less imagine running with horses.

In Jeremiah 12:1, the prophet asked God some questions many of us whisper in the dark: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” (NIV). In other words, Why does it seem like I’m barely surviving while others who don’t even honor You are thriving?

God responded, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?” (Jeremiah 12:5a).

At first that might sound almost harsh, as though God was brushing off Jeremiah’s pain. But God wasn’t dismissing Jeremiah; He was preparing him.

It’s like God was saying, This isn’t the end of your story. If you’re tired here, in the “safe country,” how will you endure when the path gets wilder, the stakes higher? I am training you for more.

What looked to Jeremiah like opposition was actually preparation. The weariness of his current footrace was building the endurance he would need for harder seasons ahead.

I think about my own life through that lens. The job loss that unraveled my security. The rejection that made me question my worth. The long nights of single parenting where exhaustion sang louder than hope. Each of those races left me breathless, but they also became my training ground. They were not wasted. They were building spiritual muscle memory for the moments God would ask me to step into deeper waters and denser thickets — yes, even to run with horses.

Friend, maybe you’re in your own footrace today, weary from the grind, confused by the unfairness, wondering why others seem to flourish while you’re just holding on. Can I whisper this encouragement? What you’re facing is not the finish line. It’s the training ground. God sees your exhaustion, and He isn’t shaming you for it. He’s strengthening you through it.

For those following hard after God, the race will quicken. The call will grow louder. And you and I will find that the hard things that left us stumbling have now equipped us to run with endurance we didn’t know we had.

Lord, You see my tired places where I feel worn out from the everyday race. Thank You that You don’t shame my weakness — You strengthen me. Train my heart to lean on You, not my own stamina. When the path gets harder and the pace picks up, remind me that I don’t run alone. Teach me to run with You, even as fast as horses. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

40 Days Through the New Testament: Knowing the Savior Who Steadies Our Uncertainty starts in just a few days! When you give to Proverbs 31 Ministries, you’re helping women all over the world encounter the Truth of God’s Word right when they need it most — and as a thank-you, you’ll receive 40 Days Through the New Testament. This eight-week study will guide you through the life of Jesus and the early Church, helping you see how His promises bring abundant life today. Inside, you’ll find daily readings, reflection questions, and practical tools to help you grow spiritually, trade fear for hope, and deepen your understanding of who God is. Don’t miss this opportunity to stir up your faith — and help another woman do the same. Give now!

width

ENGAGE

The author of today’s devotion, Melissa Fairchild, is a member of COMPEL Pro Writers Training and a recent winner of our Encouragement for Today Devotion Writing Challenge. We celebrate the way God is growing and using her gift of writing.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us …” (NIV).

Where in your life do you feel like you’re worn out or stumbling? How might God be using this season to build endurance in you for something greater?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2026 by Melissa Fairchild. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links

On Air & Up Next

See the Full Program Guide