The Wings of Eagles
Most men don’t have six good friends who would carry their coffin. That’s why we meet every week to fellowship with our Band of Brothers. We’re here to encourage one another and to build each other up. We’ve been called to “choke in the dust of men who are in hot pursuit of their Lord Jesus Christ.”
Isaiah had a message for the nation of Israel in Isaiah 40. Israel had a record of turning away from the Lord God Jehovah. Then God would allow Israel’s enemies to defeat them and make them slaves. Israel would cry out to God to have mercy and deliver them from bondage. When they repented, God would deliver them. For a time, Israel would live in peace and prosperity. Then they would become complacent and allow the world to influence their thoughts and actions. They would turn their back on God. The vicious cycle would continue.
God allows his people to become needy, desperate, and helpless. This is the point of repentance… When we turn away from our hopeless selves and the bondage of a world of darkness and depression. According to Isaiah 40:26, turn your eyes upon the Lord’s creation and ask yourself, “who created the vastness of the universe?”
Patience and trust is learned in times of helplessness and hopelessness.
Isaiah 40:6 – 15 says, “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that”“bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance…
God wants to lift us up and give us wings like eagles. To get there, we must go through trials and tribulation. We need to be broken before he can heal us. Israel needed to be brought to her knees in order to turn back to the Lord. Barriers must be removed from our lives before the Word can go forth and accomplish that which he intended in our lives.
We need to own our weaknesses in order for his strength to be perfected in us. As John the Baptist said, “I must decrease so that he may increase.” God has offered us great and precious promises. However, acceptance of God’s promise depends on our believing action. He is longing to pardon us. How far are we willing to go to accept his pardon? Therefore, trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.
When Paul got to the end of his life, he kept his eye on heaven. In 2 Timothy 4:7-8 He said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” According to Philippians 4:13, I press toward the mark of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.
When the Jews looked back, they saw their sin, disobedience and desperation. God still loved them in the midst of their depression. God sent his prophet to comfort them in their time of need. God gives mercy and grace despite our sinful selves. Even when we deserve rebuke and chastisement, he gives us grace. It sets our priorities when we realize that he does not hold our sins against us. He forgives not because we deserve forgiveness but because his nature is loving kindness and tender mercy.
We run to our Lord because he has given us mercy and grace. Our loving master comforts, encourages and builds us up as his precious bond servants. He says despite your shortcomings, you are my prized possession.
As Paul said, “thy strength is made perfect in my weakness, thy grace is sufficient for me.” Therefore humble thyself under the mighty hand of God and in due time he will lift you up. According to Isaiah 40:31, they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount upon wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint.
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael