"Draw me after you; let us run."
(Song of Solomon 1:4)
We must not walk after the Lord-but run!
The writer of Hebrews tells believers to "run with endurance" (Hebrews 12:1).
The Apostle Paul writes, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but,
only one receives the prize? So run that you might obtain it." (1Corinthians 9:24).
Running symbolizes a longing for God and a vigorous faith in Him.
Psalm 119:32 says, " I will run in the way of your commandments when you
enlarge my heart." When the children of Israel worshiped the golden calf,
they "sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." (Exodus 32:6). While
Joseph's brothers sat to eat a meal, they schemed about selling him. (Genesis 37:25).
It is a great catastrophe when the people of God sit down. They must run with
all their heart, not listening to the whispers or shouts from different sides but
rejecting any hindrance. We must run with our bodies stretched forward to
seize the prize, before our feet arrive at our goal.
The faithful soul who runs, leading other people to Christ, takes on a
great responsibility. When Paul preached in Rome, he knew that those
who responded to his message could be thrown to the wild beasts in
the arena. They could be crucified or burned at the stake.
Should he have preached in such circumstances or remained silent?
Is it right to propagate an idea that will send people to prison, torture, and death?
Many must have cursed Paul when his preaching brought sorrow and loss
to their families. But when you are drawn by Jesus Christ, you must encourage
others to run after him too.
I was in jail with a man who was led to Christ by the famous Romanian poet Traian Dorz.
The man, who had been imprisoned for his faith, had a wife and six children at home.
When I asked him if he resented Dorz for setting him on this dangerous path,
he said, "I can't thank him enough."
In the underground church, pastors give assignments to church members that might
result in their death. They ask them to organize secret printing presses and transport
Christian literature from place to place. If they are caught, these people will go
to prison. Because of those printing presses, many people have died.
Our mission has sent couriers into Communist and Islamic countries to smuggle
Christian books. One of them was beaten to death in China. Others were wounded
while taking Bibles into Mozambique when it was under Communist influence.
Soul-winners in the underground church cannot be complacent. They must remember
that their brothers and sisters may die for what they tell them to believe and do.
All Christians must be taught to carry the cross and renounce the self.
Soul-winners must know and practice this before teaching it to others.
Therefore, may we followers of Christ always affirm these words;
"We will run!"
Richard Wurmbrand (1909-2001) was a Romanian Evangelical Lutheran priest
and a professor of Jewish descent. He spent fourteen years in prison in Communist
Romania for refusing to renounce his faith in Christ. He was later ransomed for $10,000.
He and his wife, Sabina, escaped from Romania, and after spending time in Norway
and England, decided to emigrate to the United States of America.
In 1967, they founded The Voice Of The Martyrs Ministries.
"Run After Him"
Written by Richard Wurmbrand
The Voice Of The Martyrs Ministry Magazine
(October 2024)
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