Craig Clouston

 On Eagle’s Wings

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.

Isaiah 40:31

It was clear and cold as she stepped out the back door, heading for town. The sun had risen into a brilliantly blue winter sky. The snow on the ground made it almost blinding. She spotted two cardinals sitting in the walnut tree at the back of the property. There were few birds around this time of year.

Just as she reached the car, she heard a screeeech. Looking in the direction it had come from, she spotted the eagle! He was just hanging there, circling as if weightless. These were her birds! Well, God’s birds really. But she felt He had given them to her. They had been His witnesses to her in rough times. God had always brought them on just the right day at just the right time, letting her know He was watching.

These majestic birds had migrated to this river bottom some twenty years ago. They had made tremendous advancement; there were now some ten nesting pairs in a twenty-square-mile area. Each time she witnessed the awesome grace and beauty of the huge birds, she gave God thanks.

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We are witness to God’s creative power and imagination. Eagles are but one example of His love of beauty in majesty. They are also the model He chose in Scripture to convey power, strength, and safety.

Isaiah pronounces God’s promise of renewed strength and the ability to overcome, rising above the cares of the world if we trust and hope in the Lord. God wants us to understand that our daily strength should come from Him alone.

By putting our trust in Him, we will never grow weary. He doesn’t promise life will be easy. But if we allow Him to draw us apart from our labor, He will replace our weakness with His strength. The text suggests that we do this expectantly, trusting Him to produce in us a work we are incapable of.

Prayer

“Lord, we thank You that You send us signs of Your strength to encourage us. Help us come to an understanding that we can exchange our limited strength for Your unlimited power. Teach us as we come in faith. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”