DON'T YOU KNOW?

Scripture for the day: 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.
Thought for the day: Have you ever sat and watched an eagle as it soared high above the land?  The American Bald Eagle has made a tremendous come-back in our area and they've become almost a common sight, though I never tire of watching them.  Once an eagle has found the wind currents high above the earth, they seem to just hang there with little or no effort.  Just a slight tip of the wing will send the eagle to the left or the right; just the tiniest dip will bring them screaming down toward the ground after some bit of food they've seen from a mile away.  Picture if you can, this magnificent bird soaring effortlessly above the troubles and concerns of those who are earthbound and surrounded by dangers on every side.  That is the promise of Isaiah.
     Everyone becomes weary; everyone runs out of steam eventually; everyone gets tired with all the running about that seems to have become necessary these days.  But the bone-tired weariness we so often experience need not be the norm of our existence.
     Don't you know; haven't you heard?  Our God, the God of all creation, sits above the circle of the earth.  You might say He has an eagle's eye view of everything going on here.  The wars being fought, rumors of wars, injustices being perpetrated against countless numbers of people all around the world, the persecutions being endured by those who call themselves Christian; none of these escape the watchful eye of our Father in heaven.  If He can see all these things and keep them in check each and every day, don't you think He can see what's happening in your life as well, and keep that in check also?
     "Don't you know?  Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.  His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength."  Do you believe that? (and all God's children gave the proper Sunday School answer and said, "Yes, pastor, of course I believe that.").  But do you believe it's true in more than just some general way; do you believe it's true for you personally?  Do you honestly believe that you can go to this self-same God of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke with such eloquence and bring him the needs and desires of your heart?  Do you honestly believe that He knows the smallest challenge you face and cares how you face it?  Do you believe enough to claim the promise of renewed strength in the face of a constant onslaught of concerns that threaten to drain the life out of you?  The test of our answer to this question is this: am I living a life of victory in the midst of these things that would threaten to defeat me?  Or am I filled with cares and concerns that I've never fully turned over to the God who sits above the circle of the earth?
     The key is found, I think, in one small word in this verse.  The word is "wait."  Those who wait upon the Lord.  This word does not mean to sit idly in a corner, sighing as the cares of the world overwhelm us.  There is a sense in which a certain degree of patience is implied, but the word itself in the Hebrew means to look for with expectation and to hope for.  There is an eagerness implied in the word wait, as it is used in this verse, that should give us a sense of anticipation.  Those who eagerly look for, hope for, expect God to come renew their strength through the Holy Spirit will never be disappointed.  It's those who long without faith for that same renewal who always come away disappointed.
     Think of it this way; Jesus very often pointed to a person's faith as the reason why they were healed.  Jesus did the healing through the power given Him by the Father (yes, the same Father who sits above the circle of the earth), but the healing was in response to the expressed faith of the one in need.  Isaiah wasn't saying anything different; don't you know that the same Father will give spiritual, physical and emotional strength to those who have the faith to believe He will?
Now go take on your world.  -  Bill