08.09.07
“SOAR AS EAGLES!”
Isaiah 40:28-31
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired and weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even the 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 faint.”
If you have been reading the Daily-E-Votionals very long, you will recall that I am fascinated by eagles. I enjoy searching the sky for them and watching as they soar majestically with seemingly very little effort. I recall hearing an illustration about eagles that was so good I would like to share it with you.
It seems that a turkey farmer came across the egg of an unknown wild bird. He placed it among the eggs of one of his turkey hens. He reasoned that it would not hurt, and it would be fun to see what kind of egg he had found. The days passed as she incubated her clutch.
When the eggs hatched, he was amused to find that it was an eagle’s egg. The baby eagle imprinted on the mother hen and began to act as all of the other baby turkeys were acting. It cheeped and pecked around on the ground, trying its best to behave as the other turkeys.
The farmer always was amused to watch his misfit eagle fluttering and fussing in the pen with the other turkeys. One day a friend of his who was a naturalist, saw the turkey/eagle in the pen. He asked the farmer if he could have the bird and try some experiments. The farmer agreed.
The naturalist took the young bird and held it in front of him. He spoke sternly and said, “Look at me! You are not a turkey, you are an eagle. You are supposed to soar high in the heavens!” With that, he held the eagle high above his head and let it go.
The turkey/eagle squawked and fluttered down to the bottom of the pen. The man retrieved the bird, gave it another motivational message. This time he took it up into the highest point in the barn. When he let it go, the young bird screamed out in terror as it once again careened down and landed in a heap on a pile of hay.
This naturalist was not one to give up easily. He loaded the turkey/eagle in his car and drove to a nearby high mountain, all the while giving the bird his most eloquent motivation message. He finally found the perfect spot at the edge of a very high cliff.
Just before he released the bird, an eagle circled overhead. It was calling out to the world in his eagle language. The mixed up turkey/eagle raised his head and watched the majestic eagle soaring in wide circles. As the naturalist threw the mixed up bird into the abyss, it spread his wings and began to soar. With very little effort he flew off toward the other eagle and was not seen again.
It takes very little effort to imagine a conversation between the two eagles. The eagle who had been raised in the wild may have asked, “What took you so long to rise up and soar with the rest of us eagles?” The reply is a show stopper; “It’s hard to soar with the eagles when you have been living with a bunch of turkeys!”
That was fun! But there is a point here. God created us to have fellowship with Him and to soar over the mundane things of life. Unfortunately, many have been pecking around in the garbage heap of life instead of rising on God’s currents of blessing and grace.
Isaiah gives us the formula to soar with the Lord. Do you see what it is? “- - 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 faint.” It is when we place our hope in the Lord that we begin to soar. Our strength will return, weariness will pass away, and we will realize the purpose God has for us.
I invite you to join with me as we spread out our spiritual wings, catch the breeze of the Holy Spirit and feel our strength begin to revive us and lift us into the heavens.
Blessings dear hearts. Soar with God today and be a blessing.
- - - Pastor Cecil