Another life verse:

…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles… Isaiah 40:31

This verse became a mainstay for me when we were going through a long ordeal with our son. By “long”, I mean years. My strength waned often as we tried many avenues, only to run into stop signs.

I really prefer the King James Version which uses the word “wait” instead of “hope.” When we hope, it does require us to wait and anticipate, but the message the Lord kept sending me was that I must wait on Him. Wait on His timing.

Waiting is not something most of us do well. We want it today or this week or this month, but waiting for years is a big stretch, especially when coupled with one heartbreak after another.

And so, we hope in the Lord as we wait, trusting (ooh, there’s that word again), trusting that the Lord will renew our strength.

The promise comes next—”They will soar on wings like eagles.”

In the midst of all this waiting and hoping, I did a good bit of study about eagles. Quite interesting creatures. When they are ready to fly, they go up to the highest point they can find and wait for just the right draft of wind. Then they spread their wide wings and soar on the down draft with perfect ease.

It’s a lovely picture, but I knew we had a ways to go before we could soar.

Late one night, I sat (praying) in the dark on the steps leading up to our second floor. Above our front door was a horizontal piece of glass. From my vantage point, I could look out the top glass to see three street lights.

As I sat meditating, I couldn’t help but think of the three crosses long ago that stood at Calvary. I thought about God’s willingness to sacrifice his own son on the cross for our sin. In that moment, I knew that God understood my pain and cried with me. 

Thankfully, the Lord performed a miracle in our son’s life. He turned himself over to the Lord and continues to grow deeper in his faith today as a grown man with five (yes, 5) children!

…but those who (wait and) 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 faint.

May you find the strength to wait and hope and soar on wings like eagles today.

~ Joyce ~