“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Waiting is rarely a desirable activity for anyone. We wait at traffic lights; we wait for food at home or a restaurant; we wait for payday.

Isaiah declares those who wait on God will gain renewed strength. This type of waiting is beneficial because God comes through at just the right time to meet our needs and our faith increases.

Isaiah also declares that those who wait will “mount up with wings as eagles;” (Is.40:31) Have you ever seen an eagle take off from a high cliff or tree limb? According to baldealgeinfo.com, a bald eagle is about 3 feet long but its wingspan may be twice as long or longer. This majestic bird demonstrates strength and beauty to us as we look up and see it soar.

The United States of America chose the bald eagle as the national emblem on June 20, 1782 “because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks…” (baldeagleinfo.com) When we see this eagle glide through the open air, it proclaims “Look at me. I am free!” Freedom is an important part of our country. It is also important in the Christian life. When we submit to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we are owned by God and, at the same time, completely free in Him. Just like the eagle – created and owned by the Creator but free to be who it was made to be.

Some friends of ours, Michael and Teresa Freeman, visited us once in their Piper Warrior – a small aircraft. We went to the airport to pick them up and take them back to our home for a visit. I asked them how fast the plane goes and they said it varies but about 120 mph. I asked if it seems that it is going that fast and they both said no because it all depends on how far above the ground you are flying. The further away you are, the less you can see objects on the ground go by which makes it appear you are not moving fast at all.

The application to the Christian life quickly came to all of us – the closer we are to God and living with his eternal perspective, the greater we will “soar” in our daily lives. Fewer and fewer issues of life will discourage and “ground” us because we are soaring with the Father. It is when we have little to no godly perspective that the noise and busyness of life may get in the way.

We need more people who want to “mount up on wings as eagles” and walk with God in committed devotion to him.