It never ceases to amaze me that when we truly meditate on God’s Word, He will reveal profound truths. The following scripture is monogramed on a beautiful throw blanket that was gifted to me many years ago. I have always loved this scripture, but only recently did God reveal a deeper and more profound meaning. For His Word is truly a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).
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 KJV)
Let us look at the first part of this verse: They that wait upon the Lord. Scripture interprets wait as trusting in God’s timing, having hope, and faithfully continuing to do what He has called us individually to do. It’s an active expression of faith that involves patience and a willingness to surrender to God’s plan.
Wait also means to stand firm, to be patient, and to remain in rest. To wait is to acknowledge the sovereignty of God who is in control of all things; therefore, we depend upon Him for spiritual strength and guidance as we patiently wait and trust His timing and individualized plan for us.
The next part of that sentence is a promise to renew our strength. The word strength and its derivatives are mentioned over 360 times in the Bible. According to God’s Word, what strength we have is not our own because the flesh is weak (Mark 14:380). Our strength is found in Christ in whom we are to have an active and strong relationship.
Christ empowers us to do whatever is necessary to accomplish God’s will: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Christ will always strengthen when we submit to His will and not our own.
They shall mount up (ascend) with wings as eagles. Through Christ, we can soar above the difficulties and find peace. We see this with eagles that fly high to gain a better perspective of what is below, which allows them to spot and target their prey. When we draw closer to God, we are removed from an earthly perspective so that we can see God’s view and perspective, which is spiritually valuable to our spirit and soul.
It is dangerous to limit our thinking to only an earthly viewpoint, because we will then be caught up in the negativity of what is around us and become discouraged. But when we have a heavenly perspective, our spiritual vision is narrowed to what is important as we place our focus on God and not on circumstances.
The eagle exemplifies a heavenly perspective of soaring high. The crow is a pesky troublemaker to the eagle because it will sit on the eagles back and bite its neck. However, the eagle does not waste energy by attempting to shake it off or fight it. Instead, the eagle opens its wings and begins to rise high into the sky. The higher the flight the harder it is for the crow to breathe and to hold on, until it eventually falls off due to the lack of oxygen.
God wants us to ascend high with wings of eagles. When the enemy comes to discourage, belittle, accuse, torment, and put fear in us, God says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). We seek Him through His Word. Do you remember when Jesus was in the desert and Satan came to tempt Him? Jesus simply spoke the Word, and the Devil left. The Word keeps us in a place of faith and power to defeat the enemy.
Freedom from torment allows us to run, which means we have renewed hope in God and new strength in Him when we become tired and weak. As Christians we are in a race that must be dedicated to the task of finishing well. As Timothy said, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
In running, we are called not to grow weary. This life is difficult and there are many times when we become weary (tired, exhausted and discouraged). However, we are encouraged not become weary in well-doing: for in due season, we will reap (a harvest), if we faint not (Galatians 6:9). We must divert our attention from those circumstances and focus on God in the high places. He alone gives us the right perspective as He comforts and guides us.
We shall walk and not faint. Walking by faith is a way of life that involves trusting God and living by His promises every day. The biblical terminology for faint is to reach a place of mental discouragement and physical exhaustion. Therefore, we must purposefully choose to trust and focus on God and His guidance, rather than what we feel or see. And in that surrendering to God, we then have His strength to face those everyday challenges without giving up.
The revelation of this beautiful scripture has been a blessing for me because of ongoing health issues that I daily battle. It is particularly difficult to look up when you are experiencing physical problems and pain in your body. However, the Apostle Paul said that our physical bodies are temporary vessels that will eventually be transformed at the resurrection. Though pain and suffering are difficult, they are considered “light momentary afflictions that prepare us for an eternal weight of glory in heaven.” Simply stated, our current pain cannot compare to the future joy that we will experience in heaven (2 Corinthians 4:17).
This scripture is so comforting and lets us know that God’s eyes and His hand upholds us when we feel that He does not hear nor see us. He says, “I will go before [you] and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron (obstacles that appear to be insurmountable). And I will give [you] the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that [ you may] know that I, the Lord, which call [you] by [your] name, am the God of Israel” (Isaiah 42:2-3).
PRAYER: FATHER, help me to keep my eyes heavenward towards You and not on this world. There are so many distractions, challenges, and anything that the enemy will use to take my focus away from You. Help me to soar like the eagle to heights of faith that will cause the enemy to fall away like the crow. In Jesus’ name, amen.