Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

Isaiah 40:31

Ever notice how at Christmas time, kids are so full of expectancy? They talk of Santa Claus and the gifts he will bring, they are busy making their lists and checking them twice, and bubbling with excitement. The waiting period is several weeks long and yet they don’t tire of expecting. Several weeks are a long time for a child and yet I have never heard a child give up and say, “Well, I guess Santa isn’t going to give me anything. I’m just going to tear up my list.” Nope, I’ve never heard that. They are tenacious in their believing.

Jesus said we need to be like little children, and I think this is one area where we can learn from them. Waiting for the Lord doesn’t mean sitting around doing nothing, wringing our hands, questioning why, when, how? It means to expect the Lord to deliver—to put our confidence in Him. If my faith just isn’t there, it might mean taking steps to build my faith and confidence in the Lord. I can spend more time with Him in His Word, fellowship with other believers more, confess scriptures, listen to teaching tapes, whatever helps me get in that place of expectancy and stay there. Kids are fortunate in that they know the end date of their waiting time – December 25. We don’t have that knowledge when we are going through difficult times. Our waiting period could be much longer; mine certainly has.

The payoff for kids is presents under the tree. The payoff for us, according to this verse, is new strength, renewed vigor, renewed stamina. We can soar like eagles.

I used to live in Montana near Glacier National Park and, every fall, I would take my kids to Apgar to see the bald eagles that had gathered because the salmon were headed up the creek. We could see hundreds in a single day. This was an amazing sight, watching these beautiful birds soaring and catching fish. Sometimes, they hung suspended in the air above the creek and, other times, they dove straight after their target. Never did they look lost or stressed or weak.

This view was much more spectacular than watching the sparrows that hop about my house now looking for crumbs or worms! I want to soar like an eagle, I want to rise above it all and be all that God created me to be. I refuse to let pain stop me. This verse tells me that if I don’t give up hope, if I continue to wait expectantly for the Lord, that I will soar like one. If you don’t give up hope, if you continue to wait expectantly for the Lord, you, too, will soar like an eagle!

The choice is ours…eagle or sparrow?

Lord, thank You for the imagery of eagles. Thank You that as I wait on You, You will give me flight. I will one day rise above this pain, these symptoms, and have new strength. You are so faithful to Your Word. Help me, as I learn to wait expectantly, to be faithful to Your Word as well. I wait for my day of deliverance and I thank You for it now, in Jesus’s name, amen.

I would love to hear from you. Please let me know if I can be praying for you as well.

pic credit: outdoorphotographer.com

pic credit: oceanwideexpeditions.com