The other day, as I woke and started my day, I heard the inspiring cry of a bird in flight. As I listened, but could not see it, I wondered what kind of bird it was. It was not an eagle, we simply don’t have any eagles that I know about in this part of New Mexico. My thoughts were immediately drawn to Isiah 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.
While these verses have been quoted often because of their positive nature, their context can be easily overlooked. The Lord has is calling on us to end our self reliance and idol worship in exchange, He offers a source that is never exhausted, namely Himself.
Since hearing the cry of that bird on Friday morning much has happened. The largest earthquake in Japanese history and the fifth largest on earth since they began recording seismic activity has occurred. The wars in the middle east have been eclipsed by the enormity of it all, but the changes there have not stopped. The economy continues to threaten the way of life we are accustomed to having. I understand that the earth has even shifted slightly on its axis.
This leads me the inescapable conclusion that we can depend on absolutely nothing. Nothing, that is, but Christ alone. There is hope after all. The Lord makes it plain that the earth itself cannot be depended upon to support us. Governments will fail and should not be our source or provider. A few bad choices, incurring great debt, or allowing a dictator to gain power, that’s all it takes to bring a government down. The Lord created all things. There is nothing we see or feel that was not created by Him. The only one who does not grow weary, the only one whose strength never fails is the one who can give us wings.