"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)
The following fable relates how the birds are supposed to have received their wings. They were created without wings. They had lovely plumage, they could sing, but they could not fly. Then God made wings and placed them in front of the birds, saying, "Come, take up these burdens and bear them." At first the birds hesitated. Then they picked up the wings in their beaks and laid them on their shoulders. At first they were heavy and hard to bear. But soon, as they folded the burdens over their hearts, the wings grew to their bodies. Their burdens had become wings by which they could fly.
Often the burdens of life press upon us so heavily we feel we cannot carry them any longer. We ask God to remove them. But His plan is to use them to develop wing power in our lives.
When the eagle watches a storm approaching, he waits until it strikes. Then he faces it, spreads his wings, and rises upward through it. As storms break upon our lives, our wing power takes us through the storm and lifts us above it.
Sufficient strength to mount up on wings as eagles comes from "waiting on the Lord". It has been said, "Mounting wings have been fashioned for those who wait on the Lord."
The word "wait" in this Scripture verse has the meaning of "habitually trusting." Those who wait on the Lord will keep trusting in spite of their difficulties. When we bring our needs to Him and wait before Him, He gives strength to rise above them. It is an exchanged strength, exchanging our human strength for His divine strength. "For my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
In our weakness we become strong. We say, "I can't do it." God says, "I can do it for you".
What are you waiting on today? Things? People? Money? Possessions? Waiting on HIM gives the quiet confidence of His presence upholding us moment by moment.
"For God so love the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" - John 3:16
How much did God love? He loved so much that He gave. God did not just say, "I love you," and then remain unmoved about our sinful condition. Giving is the supreme test of love. There are many ways to give. Perhaps one of the most difficult things to give - the sacrifice that most strenuously tests our love - is time.
Do you have time to listen? To write? To help? To meditate on God and His Word? To pray? If we have given our bodies a living sacrifice, we will make time for these things. We will see things from God's perspective, and He will fill us with love. And remember, love gives.
The devil likes to clutter our lives with varied distractions. Giving time takes effort. The fruit of holiness forgets self and goes on to help others. I have yet to experience a dearth or a calamity because I spent time for someone else.
Are your relationships satisfying? If your answer is no, perhaps you think that fulfillment in relationships is found in getting and not in giving. Are you almost ready to cross that friend off your list and class her as unfaithful because she doesn't write? Why not write to her once more? Maybe she has struggles and needs encouragement. Do you feel sorry for yourself because no one invites you to Sunday lunch? Why don't you invite someone? God did not wait to give, invite, or share until someone else did.
The palsied man who was let down through the roof to Jesus did not get there by himself. He was borne there by four kind people who were moved by his weak condition. Where love is, there is a willingness to bear the weak to God in prayer and fasting.
Giving may require sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed when He gave, and through that we experience untold blessings. When God moves us to give and we act in obedience, the giver as well as the receiver will experience abundant blessings.
From Our Daily Bread...
Holiness - Set Apart in Christ.
Holy is a word that is often misunderstood in our day, no doubt in part because it's sometimes used negatively to call someone "holier than thou" - a statement of a person's arrogance about their moral superiority. So, setting aside that negative view, why is it important for believers in Jesus to understand holiness?
In both the Old and New Testaments, the primary word for "holy" (Hebrew, qodesh; Greek, hagios) carry the idea of being "set part for God's use". As a result, holiness results in purity and usefulness - the byproducts of a life dedicated to God and His purposes.
So, in practical terms, what might being "set apart" look like? We find the answer in Paul's words in Romans 12:1-2: "I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Notice how Paul's description presents the distinctiveness with which believers are called to live in Christ's name. A living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, not conformed to this world, transformed, discerning God's purposes.
This is an impossibility for us to achieve in our own strength, wisdom, or power (just ask the Pharisees of the first century). It is only as we allow God to work in our hearts through His Spirit that we can live in a way that harmonizes with the holy One who's redeemed us.
- Bill Crowder, Our Daily Bread author
What lovely thoughts to start my morning off.Thank you ❤️ LK.
ReplyDeleteBe blessed! xx
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