By Pastor Don Schatz

Strength for the Day

“…but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles,”
Isaiah 40:31 New Revised Standard Version 

Toward the end of The Hobbit, Bilbo shouts, “The eagles!  The eagles are coming!”  It was good news.  It would not be the only time the eagles would come to the rescue.  On this occasion, they helped turn the tide of battle.

An old fisherman once told me of a time that he was out on the water, just off shore of one of the San Juan Islands.  He was checking his shrimp traps.  When he looked up, he saw an eagle flying toward him, low to the water.  The eagle had caught a large salmon, so large that it couldn’t gain any more altitude as it flew toward shore.  Al had to duck as the eagle flew right over his boat, so that the fish wouldn’t smack him in the face!  The eagle was strong.  And determined.

Today is renewal day.  Today is a day to embrace waiting on the Lord.  This is a waiting with hope, with anticipation.  God still makes real the words Isaiah uttered on his behalf thousands of years ago.  “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles.”  Burdened today are you?  You have eagle’s strength in the Lord.  Feeling used up?  The Lord brings renewal to you today, renewing your strength.  Feeling pretty good today?  Embrace the imagery of flying high with wings like eagles!

Close your eyes, putting on those eagle wings.  What is the view like up there, soaring high in the Spirit of God?  What renewed perspective does hope in Jesus offer?  How is your trust in the Lord renewed as you live Isaiah’s words?  Are you filled with wonder at the Lord’s love for you?  Are you filled with awe at the displayed majesty of the Lord?  What encouragement of soul are you experiencing?  Eagles wings.  Be renewed today in the Lord.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado