Have you found life to be hard at times?  How do we thrive in times of difficulty?  Today I was impressed with the description of the flight of an eagle,

“From his experience of living near an eagle’s hollow, Terry Fulham explains plains how eagles mount up. As a child of nine or ten he would visit the hollow for hours and sit and watch eagles circling and soaring overhead. On one occasion, he remembered observing an eagle standing at the edge of its nest, high up on the crags of a cliff. It just stood there, wings spread out wide open. And it stood and stood. Terry became impatient and started to throw rocks at the eagle to make it fly (of course, the nest was much higher than his stone’s reach). All of a sudden, the eagle slowly Iifted off the nest and began soaring-without any movement of its wings. It had waited for the wind to carry it aloft. We learn that apart from the wind there is no soaring, only weary flapping. We were made for soaring with the Spirit, to soar above the heights as well as through storms.”[1]

How does this apply to you and me?  Notice what it says in Is. 40:31,

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.“

God, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, has given us the capacity as believers to soar above the circumstances of life.  God has not promised to keep us from problems or trials, but he has given us the ability to rise above them as we walk in humble dependence upon him each step of the way.

As Issler further notes,

“By combining two biblical word pictures, the Spirit as wind and the believer as a soaring eagle . . .  a dynamic image takes shape, depicting how supernatural assistance helps believers rise above human limitations. Eagles were made for soaring, having long wingspans with powerful pinions. They soar great distances for hours at a time when the wind carries them”.

You and I are made to soar through the enabling of the Spirit rather than our weary flapping of self-effort!

Father, thank you for the reminder and the truth that you are with us every minute of the day.  We can soar, even in the midst of trial and trouble as you enable us.  Help me to remember my ability to live in a manner that pleases you only comes from your enabling.  Help me to soar today!

Following Jesus with you,

 

 

[1] Klaus Issler. Wasting Time with God: A Christian Spirituality of Friendship with God (Kindle Location 1846). Kindle Edition.