Trust and Renewal
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; Isa. 40: 31.
There are a few words in Hebrew for wait. In Isaiah 40:31 we learn that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. This wait is qavah which is a twisting or binding. It is the word used for making rope. Ever take a close look at a rope. The ancient method of making rope is still used today. Hundreds of thin strands of fabric, each one alone could easily be broken, but when tightly bound together they form a rope that cannot be broken. So in Isaiah 40:31 this waiting is just not sitting back, patiently twiddling your thumbs, but it is a process of binding yourself to God and the more you bind yourself to God, the stronger you become.[i]
We often think about eagles, reflect on their majestic flight. How they protect their eaglets, their incredible strength, and their long life. Throughout the Bible, eagles serve as a powerful metaphor for the strength of God that He offers to His children. What stood out for myself as I watch the eagles, is the height they fly, protecting its young, their sharp eyes to look for its prey, its strength, and how it renews it’s strength after a period of time!
Eagles don’t simply push their young from the
nest; instead, they employ a multifaceted approach involving gradual encouragement, demonstration, and controlled risk, ultimately teaching their eaglets how do eagles teach their babies to fly effectively and safely. Eaglets begin flapping their wings early
on. Branch hopping: As
they grow, eaglets will start hopping between branches near the nest, further
strengthening their legs and improving their balance. Preening: Maintaining
feather health is essential for efficient flight. Eaglets spend considerable
time preening, learning to keep their plumage clean and properly aligned. This
stage is crucial in building the physical foundation necessary for successful flight.[ii]
Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself; Exo. 19: 4.
I bore you on eagles’ wings: An eagles’ wings: This means that just like the eagles
carry their young ones, attached to the back of the mother eagle!? They are
protected as the eaglets are being carried from any hunters. Any arrow or harm
should pass through the mother eagle, before it touches the eaglets. We all can
reminisce in this beauty of tender loving care, with tremendous concern for its
young ones, just like a mother would protect her infant! This is a beautiful
picture of God’s love and His protection for us! God reminds us again and again
of His loving care and protection for us.
“This
metaphor is developed most extensively in Deuteronomy 32:11, where the loving compassion, protection,
strength, and watchfulness of God is compared with the majestic bird’s
attributes.” (Kaiser)
We are also told that we renew our strength. It is strength that was once
received when we first came to the LORD in weakness and no might. Then, that strength is renewed
as we wait on the LORD. Renew is
“from a basic meaning ‘to change’…[it] comes to mean ‘to put on afresh’: here,
‘keep putting on fresh strength.’ (Motyer)
Now the battle fore renewal begins;
As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth
them on her wings: So the Lord alone
did lead him, and there was no strange god with him; Deut. 32: 11-12.
This particular verse paints a
living, dramatic portrait of our God’s dealing with the faithful children of
His alone very often. First of all, God our Father in heaven does not like
complacency. He Himself, disturbs our complacency, then stays close with us,
rescues us in His ways, when our faith wobbles, and ultimately He carries our
whole load, of carrying His young, the weight of our journey itself. Just like
the mother eagle, challenges its eaglets to mature and fly, and become strong,
God challenges His children. God lovingly presses us to grow, mature in Him and
become stronger while guaranteeing that we will never fall beyond His
outstretched, capable, broad wings.
(Ref. Psalm 91).
God is
more than capable of giving us the strength; but this does not happen as we sit
passively! This strength from above to fulfill any task will be provided as we
endure in Him, and in His strength. We wait for Him and rely totally on His
strength, rather than ours!
I
had personally experienced sand storms in the desert. This is not fun, and it
comes unexpected as you travel. As it hits, the sand particles fly, all you can
do is just close your eyes, in the storm, and think upon God only! We do not
see anything at all! This is a powerful life imagery of God’s protection, His
care for His children, as we pass through storms of life, desert experiences,
winter storms, tornadoes, stumble on sand dunes and sand storms of life itself!
After stirring
the nest, the eagle circles close, never abandoning her fledglings. If a
young bird falters, the mother swoops under, wings outstretched, bearing its
weight. Pinions are the strong, outer feathers that make flight
possible. The fledgling ends up gliding on the mother’s lift, not its own.[iii]
This is a call for all of us to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness, in our journey, and be constantly encouraged to trust in His promises, by the power of His Spirit. Getting the continuous guidance, pressing and marching toward the promised land is a challenge in itself. How do we do this?
Fly, fly, so high against the sky
So high I almost touch the sky
Thank you, thank you
Thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings.
(Songwriters: Larry Henley, Jeff Alan Silbar).
First step, we learn
to mount up with wings like eagles. Second step we learn to run;
and then we learn to walk. This should be the right order; and this is
because there is an order for every task we take.
Most important thing is, first of all we recognize
that, we are set up in heavenly places with Jesus Christ;
And hath raised us up together, and made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Ephe, 2: 6.
Now we beginning to learn to
run towards the course;
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with
so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which
doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, Heb. 12: 1.
Then we begin to understand,
that we are in a good place, so we learn
to walk, and walk with Jesus Christ in our earthly journey.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Col. 2: 6.
Elisabeth Elliot narrates; “Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. The cross was the proof of His love – that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary’s cross, though “legions of angels” might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process.”
He giveth power to the faint; and to them
that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall
faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: Isa. 40: 29-30.
Weak in Isaiah 40:29 and faint in Isaiah 40:30 are the same Hebrew word, which means “failure through loss of inherent strength.” Weary in Isaiah 40:30 is a different word, which means “exhaustion because of the hardness of life” (Motyer).
If we are worn out of weariness and faint, exhausted because of the harshness of life itself, God is right there to give us strength; all that we need as we wait on Him to be renewed.
We are completely known and
completely loved….how precious it is?! This is where our trust
begins to work and renewal takes place!
[ii] How do eagles
teach their babies to fly? - The Institute for Environmental Research and
Education
[iii] Bible Hub https://biblehub.com
What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 32:11? - Bible Hub
Deuteronomy 32:11 paints a
living portrait of the LORD’s faithful dealings with His people: He disturbs
complacency, stays close, …
