On Wings Like Eagles

                   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 or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives  strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  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 40:27-31)

                Feel free to sing the last couple of sentences. Then, let’s begin with the Lord, the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not grow tired or weary. Youths grow tired and weary. Though it doesn’t say it, old folks grow tired and weary. In fact, the point is that old folks look at youths and think that they are like the Energizer Bunny…they keep going and going. But youths get tired and weary, but God doesn’t. Now, when we think about getting tired, we tend to think in terms of physical tiredness, so it makes sense that God, being a non-physical being, could not get tired. But if we think a little longer, we realize that we also get emotionally and intellectually tired. Bored may fit in there somewhere. This is what I find more mind-blowing. God doesn’t get emotionally or intellectually tired. He doesn’t get bored with you or me. His brain doesn’t shut down at ___ p.m.

                When we get tired, what we need is rest. When we read these verses, we sometimes imagine they mean we’re being promised victory or freedom. At the very least, we like to think that what’s promised is “problem solved!” Somehow, we have it in our heads that birds in flight, especially the big birds of prey, find freedom and joy in flight. And maybe they do, but I think it’s just as likely that their flight is an exercise done in a search for prey. It’s work. They can do it because they’re big, strong birds, but they can only fly 5-10 hours (about 200 miles) before landing for a rest. That’s impressive. It is impressive.

                The point, however, is that God gives them the rest and/or the capacity to fly on. He doesn’t end their need to ever fly again. When we get tired and God gives us rest so that we can mount up with wings like eagles, it’s not that we are released and allowed to fly. It’s that we are given the strength to fly again. It isn’t freedom, it’s endurance.