Soaring

Scripture:

Isaiah 40:29-31(Message)  “(God) … energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.”

Romans 5:17 … how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Reflection:

Hummingbirds are amazing. They certainly are one of God’s great creations. They flap their wings up to 80 times a second and can travel up to 60 mph. Yet for all their amazing qualities, hummingbirds live on the edge of survival and can starve to death in 3 to 5 hours. They forage constantly to maintain the ability to live.

On the other extreme we find the eagle. An eagle may flap his wings only two minutes out of an hour of flight! While they can travel over 100mph, they take much less effort as they soar on currents of air rather than depending upon flapping their wings. Quite the contrast when we compare them to the tiny hummingbird. 

Soaring is very different than flapping. Life requires both, and the eagle was designed by God to soar. As followers of Jesus, I often wonder if we tend to flap our way through life when God’s intention is for us to soar. Maybe we only know how to flap relying on the strength that we have been given rather than soaring on the wind of the Spirit. Our culture constantly suggests that to be successful we need to work harder and smarter, yet like the hummingbird, it feels like we live on the edge of survival. 

• One God idea is worth much more than a thousand of my good ideas. 
• One God connection can produce more than 100 of my good contacts.
• One word from God can sustain me for days and even weeks, while a hundred of the latest self help books just become a resting place for dust.
• One “well done, good and faithful servant” from our Savior will satisfy for all eternity while 1000 complements from man will pass away before the day is done.

Life can be hard … with all the disappointments, delays, detours and troubles that come from living in a fallen world. God doesn’t come along to add to the burden but to relieve it.

“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired.” Isaiah 40:31 Amplified Bible

Ask yourself: Am I flapping my way through life? Do I know how to soar in my relationship with Jesus? Do I look to him to give me strength and insight  for my everyday, or do I ask him to bless it and then do what I always do? 

Your answer to these questions might help you to determine the degree in which you rely on Holy Spirit strength in your life.