Isaiah 40:28-31. 28Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Have you ever had to wait for someone or something to arrive? Maybe you’ve taken a long trip to grandma’s house and you had to wait for your arrival there. Or maybe you’ve had to wait for a special day to come, like your birthday or the day of a special activity. What about waiting for a person to get back from a long trip? Did you wait anxiously for their arrival?
Isaiah the prophet is telling God’s people that they must learn to wait – wait on the Lord.
God doesn’t do anything fast. He could. But he doesn’t. God always takes his time. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God immediately promised them that the Messiah, the hero, would come to destroy Satan, sin, and death. But did that Messiah come right away? No. It took thousands of years before Jesus came as a baby at Christmastime to be the promised one who would take away our sins for good.
Isaiah lived 700 years before Jesus and the Israelites were still waiting for the Messiah to come. So Isaiah is telling them to keep waiting. Isaiah says that the Israelites will have to go through some very hard things, but God has NOT forgotten them. Keep waiting on God. He will rescue you when the time is just right. And as we wait there is a promise – those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Like the word for the wild ox (see day 17), the word for eagle used here can mean different kinds of bird. In fact, in most Bibles the same Hebrew word is sometimes “eagle,” but other times it is “vulture.” There are many large vultures that live in Israel even today, so a vulture could be the right bird. But eagles were also an important bird in Bible times, often representing kings. Both eagles and vultures are known for flying high. Both were big and powerful. But you have to admit that soar high on wings like eagles sounds way better than soar high on wings like vultures.
Have you ever seen an eagle flying? They are so majestic. Their soaring is so effortless. When I’ve seen eagles in the sky I don’t think I’ve ever seen them flap their wings. They just ride on the wind. Eagles can fly very high, very fast, and for a very long time. All while resting on the wind.
Isaiah is saying that this is what waiting for Jesus should feel like – soaring! Our wait for Christmas is almost over, but our wait for Jesus goes on. And, yes, at times we will feel weak, tired, and exhausted like Isaiah says. But when we trust in God, we can soar on the wind of his goodness and love for us, like an eagle (or maybe a vulture), until Jesus comes back to give us his power and strength that will never, ever run out.
Questions: Is there anything that makes you feel weak and tired? How can trusting that Jesus is coming back help you to soar like an eagle above the problem of this world?
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