Fly, Run, walk- Lessons from the Eagle

A few days ago, I spoke to my friend about life’s challenges and the issues we face. We cried, laughed, and prayed. As the conversation ended, I came to the realisation.

We were never meant to bear the burdens we carry alone.

As the scripture puts it,

‘O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his own steps.’

Jeremiah 10:23 

This brings me to the question. Are you tired? Does your heart ache with the burdens you bear? Do you long to live out a life of purpose without care and without being weighed down by the issues that plague your soul?

Look no further; the answer is in Isaiah 40:31

‘But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.’

Oh! How difficult it can be to wait when you are weary. Waiting when you are exhausted is almost like a contradiction. When you are tired, you want to sleep, chill, and maybe watch movies. Anything else but wait.

But ‘Sleep doesn’t help if it’s the soul that’s tired.’

The Good news is that there is a strength that is found when you wait On the Lord.

Waiting on the Lord means spending time praying, leaning into God’s heart in praise and worship, bible study, fasting and fellowshipping with other believers. It is placing yourself in a position to receive and hear from God. I break down the basics of how to wait upon the Lord in my other blog post, Waiting on The Lord, your journey into God’s presence.

Renewing your strength

The act of renewal is a continuous process. It is not a one-off experience. You are not given strength once, then BOOM! Strength forever. You need to continually stay in God’s presence because in His presence there is an exchange of his strength for our weakness.

Isaiah 40:29 says,

‘He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength’

This is a promise from God to those who stay yielded and connected to him. The Creator of the universe is saying “I got you. All you need to do is trust me. Let me carry you. Let me help you.”

Looking again at our starting scripture, Isaiah 40:31, It’s almost as if God is working backwards. Humanly speaking, there is an order to things. Walking comes before running and planes need to ‘run’ or taxi on the runway before they can take off in the sky. But not with God. He says,

‘They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.’

God is saying with Him you can fly! You don’t have to limit yourself to the starting point. There are many things I have placed in you, and you’ll soar as the eagle if you let me show you how.

Lessons from the Eagle

An eagle flies mostly without flapping its wings because it is aided by the wind. It mounts up, using the air currents to gain altitude without much effort which enables it to fly above rain and storms. Similarly, when our strength is renewed, we can live unbothered by life’s storms. Not because we do not see it but because we are aided by ‘Ruach Elohim’ which means the breath of God, the Holy Spirit.  He carries us so we are lifted above the storms of life.

You can soar if you let God carry you!

Jeremiah 17:8 says,

‘For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out her roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.’

Run and not be weary, Walk and do not faint

‘Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who wait on the Lord
    will renew their strength.’

Isaiah 40:30-31a

Is it possible to run without getting tired? Or walk without ever stopping? Even the best athletes in the world will stop after running for a while. But the Bible says that God’s possibilities go beyond human capabilities when you trust Him. When God renews your strength, the impossible becomes possible.

When you wait on God, you can do everyday things without fainting, complaining, getting tired, or giving up. Why? Because in waiting on the Lord, we are aided by the Holy Spirit. And we do not fail.

The Invitation

‘Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’

Matthew 11:28

God has promised rest for all who respond to his call. He stands with arms open wide, drawing everyone to Himself. He wants to carry you; He wants to help you. He wants to lift those burdens that you carry. He wants to give you peace and rest.

God is calling you. Will you answer?

He wants to carry those weights off your shoulders.

And if you have never met him, this is your chance.

Say this prayer with me

Lord, help me to trust you. Teach me to know you. I am tired of carrying these burdens by myself. I surrender it all to you. I receive your invitation today.

If you prayed with me, leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!