Have you cut the umbilical cord?

Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

But those who hope in the Lord

    will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

    they will run and not grow weary,

    they will walk and not be faint.

I saw a video on Facebook of two people flying in a special contraption that looked like a minimized hang glider. The device was connected however, by an extreme extra-long cord, to a motor boat. The speed of the boat kept it up in the air, guiding it through the wide open space of the sky.

They were actually flying without the aid of a motor, and had effortlessly reached the heights of the sky. And as long as they stayed connected to the speed boat via the umbilical-looking attachment, they would never fall.

It is this that reminded me of my favorite passage in the Bible: "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Is 40:31

Just like these people, we, as Christians, can soar way up high, just like eagles! But we, too, have to rely on an "umbilical" cord that attaches us to our Maker and Savior. This "umbilical" cord is called trust.

But trust doesn't come too easily, especially nowadays.

To trust completely we have to set aside our pride and our preoccupations. We have to put our entire focus on the person we trust. Only then can we soar way up to heights we would never have imagined. Gone are the addictions. Gone are the worries. Gone are any selfishness and unforgiveness.

This is where most of us go wrong. We are so attracted by our own wants that we never find the time to start trusting anyone, much less our Father in Heaven.  And that's where we continue to live a mundane life.

We all fall short of the assured promise: "All these things will be given to you as well."

It seems to be human nature that as soon as we are experiencing any kind of soaring in the heights of the sky, we immediately take out our pocket knife and severe the cord that keeps us in the air. "We can do it by ourselves" we claim, only to discover over and over again that it is not so, after we crash.

We can fly like eagles, but only if we truly stay connected to God in all humility with the "umbilical" cord called total trust.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would trust You. When we are trying to do it on our own help us turn back to You and trust You so that we indeed can fly like the eagles. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

The Soaring Eagle and Sharing Our Faith.

Hebrews 12:15 (New International Version)

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

In 2007, the government announced it had taken the bald eagle off the endangered species list. That’s great news! Still, many different plants and animals remain on that list.

As we take a minute to think about the endangered species list does it go far enough? For example, what about a list for endangered people? Lists like that might include rare individuals like these: 

Those content with their lives

Those living with a sure and confident hope

Those secure in their financial situation

Those confident about their future

Those who enjoy life’s blessings

Those certain of their salvation

Sadly, the number of people on many of those lists, especially the last one, could easily outnumber the endangered plants and animals on any government list! Does your name appear in any of the categories above—or maybe all of them? If so, praise the Lord, who has worked these rare qualities in you! Do you know people whose names would not appear in any of the categories above? It’s likely. And it’s also easy to walk right by the hurting, hopeless, and fearful people all around us, feeling inadequate to help.

We have plenty of opportunities to add people to these lists. We are encouraged through all of scripture to see that no one misses the grace of God . . .

Recently I’ve read stories of people sharing their faith at work. It’s obvious from their enthusiasm and newfound confidence that sharing Christ has made their work experience more exciting, an adventure, even. They enjoy their growing relationships with co-workers, and they sense God at work through them, adding purpose to their daily occupations.

As the Holy Spirit grows our faith, as he strengthens us through his Word, and as we spend time with other believers, we realize a new confidence and a new urgency for sharing Christ’s hope-filled news with a hurting world. As men of God, we soar as we share our Lord and the salvation he won for us. We want others to see what we see and know what we know, namely the world’s Savior, Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord we thank You for Your grace and the salvation you give to us. We pray today that we have the confidence in sharing your life-giving news with those that are in our life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Sore On Wings of Eagles

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?

The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come.

When the storm hits, the eagle sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm.

While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring high above it.

The eagle does not escape the storm; it simply uses the storm to lift itself higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. When the storms of life come upon us ... and all of us will experience them ... we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us; we can allow God's power to lift us above them.

God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment into our lives. We can soar above these storms. Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down; it is how we handle them. ~ Author Unknown ~

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

-Isaiah 40:30 -31

Dear Lord, help us to wait on you, as we renew our spirit. In Jesus’ Name Amen.