You've probably seen pictures of an eagle, and I'll bet he was soaring
majestically. Right? You may have actually seen some eagles. It's always
something special when you see one. The eagles you've seen were most
likely soaring when you saw them. But did you know there are times that
they can't even fly, and very few people have ever seen them in their bad
times. But eagles do get sick, and sometimes when they're sick they're
almost immobilized. They're weak, depleted, and frankly they're not much
to see. When an eagle crashes like that he goes off to a place where he
can be alone, often atop a high cliff. And he lies out in the sun, face
up, spread-eagled, totally collapsed. God has actually outfitted the eagle
with eyes that can look at the sun without any damage, and that's what the
powerless eagle does. He focuses his eyes on the sun and he lies there
until his strength comes back. Oh yeah, the eagle crashes, but he knows
how to come back to soar again!
It's not just eagles that crash ... so do we. We all go through those
times when we have nothing left to give. You maybe in one of those seasons
right now. You're weak, depleted, you're exhausted, and you're physically,
emotionally, spiritually drained. You don't have the personal resources to
meet your challenges - the demands that you've got in front of you. It's
in those moments that you become a candidate for resources far beyond your
own. You might call it "eagle power."
It's described in our word for today from the Word of God in the familiar
words of Isaiah 40, beginning with verse 28.0ne of my favorites! "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." Now, if the
word "weak" or "weary" would describe you right now, then this next
promise has your name on it. "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."
Now, if we can grasp how it is that an eagle in crash mode renews his
strength, we'll understand how we can renew ours - and then "soar on wings
like eagles." Just picture that usually strong eagle, sprawled out
powerlessly, eyes focused on the sun, his body and spirit soaking up its
strength. He totally gives up in order to gain strength. The law of God's
renewing work is pretty simple - you have to surrender to get strong.
God hasn't allowed you to reach the end of you so you'll give up, but so
you'll give up control! It's time to finally take your fingers off that
steering wheel that you've held onto so tightly and relinquish all control
to Almighty God. "I give up, Lord. I can't fix it. I can't figure it out.
I can't contribute anything to a solution. I'm wiped out and I'm totally
releasing all of me and all of my issues to You." At that moment, God
miraculously begins to replace your weakness with His unlimited strength,
your confusion with His infinite wisdom, your exhaustion for His boundless
energy and your despair for His indomitable hope.
That surrender can't just be a one-time thing. Paul said we're, “…renewed
day by day.” You need to come to Him each new day, confessing your
powerlessness, surrendering control, and downloading His strength and
power. When you keep your eyes on the Son of God …when you totally
surrender to Him, you'll become a candidate for His strength and His
power. And you are ready again to "soar on eagles' wings"! Soar with us at
North Royalton Christian Church this fall.
See you in Church,
Chuck
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