On Wings of Eagles

Isaiah 40:28-31
Introduction: All that the Lord created can be used as a reference to our walk as a believer. A good example of this truth is the snail. Charles Spurgeon said that by perseverance the snail made it to the ark. Many
times when we feel like giving up, we must keep on going regardless of how slow we seem to be making progress. Paul tells the Hebrew believers this in Hebrews 6:1 "let us go on".

Many people quit some thing every day. They quit jobs, marriages, businesses, churches, organizations and so many other things. Many times we regret making these decisions; this is because they are made in haste.

The eagle is one of the most majestic birds of all the birds that God created on the fifth day of creation. There are many parallels to the Christian life that we can see in eagles. As we look at the eagle, see if you can find either your life or the life that you know that the Lord would want you to have.

I. THE SOARING OF AN EAGLE

Isaiah 40:31
"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; and they shall walk, and not faint."

2nd Corinthians 4:8-10
"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."

Let’s look at his wings and soaring. An eagle’s wings are long and broad, making them effective for soaring. To help reduce turbulence as air passes over the end of the wing, the tips of the feathers at the end are tapered so that when the eagle fully extends its wings, the tips are widely separated.

To help them soar, eagles use thermals, which are rising currents of warm air, and updrafts generated by terrain, such as valley edges or mountain slopes. Soaring is accomplished with very little wing flapping,
enabling them to conserve energy. Long distance migration flights are accomplished by climbing high in a thermal, and then gliding downward to catch the next thermal, where the process is repeated.

A. He uses the warm currents that cause air drifts to push him higher than his problems.

B. He uses the warm currents to push him higher than his pain. 
We can arise above the difficulties of life.
We can rise above the devil.
We can rise above the despair of life.
We can rise above the devilish desires that surround us.

Too many times we are like turkeys, we are stuck on the ground surrounded by our problems and pain. This is exactly where Satan wants us to be. If Satan wants us there, then we must go in the opposite direction.

II. THE SEPARATION OF AN EAGLE

He doesn’t mix with the multitudes of birds. Such as:

A. Sparrows- Flocking together. Always getting in trouble by being in the wrong place. We can see this many times throughout the scriptures. Be careful what crowd you hang around with. Most of the time, crowds will go astray. The L. A. riots in the last century are a good example of mob mentality.


B. Hummingbirds- they can go 90 mph in one direction and then reverse and go in the opposite direction at the same speed. Many church folks are always in motion. But they are like the dog chasing his tail: he sure is doing something but he is not getting anyway. The same is like the hamster in the spinning wheel.

C. Sapsuckers- they like sapping the life out of the church. Don’t contribute anything. It does not sing. But it likes putting on the spiritual act.

D. Woodpeckers- always knocking thing. Knocking the singing, knocking the preaching, knocking the preacher or Sunday School teacher. They are alway knocking something.

III. THE SIGHT OF THE EAGLE

The eagle eye is probably the sharpest of any animals, with four to eight times the resolving power of a person's eye. Proverbs 29:18  "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

A. Many folks don’t have a vision of souls going to Hell. Today as we go to church, each home represents souls that may die today and they may go to Hell. Here are the shocking statistics. 3 people die every second, 180 people die every minute 10,800 people die every hour and 260,000 people will die today.

We have the solution. We can show them the way to the Lord Jesus and His salvation.

B. Many folks don’t have any vision of the Saviour grieving over our sinful condition. He is more interested in our being right than we will ever be. Until we see what He expects of us, then we will never begin that journey of life that leads to greater service, greater joy and great love for Him. What is a Christian? "He feels supreme love for one whom he has never seen.  He talks familiarly every day to someone he cannot see, expects to go to Heaven on the virtue of another, empties himself in order that he might be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up. He is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies to self so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge." A. W. Tozer

C. Many folks don’t have any vision of saints growing in Christ.

IV. THE STRENGTH OF AN EAGLE

The bald eagle can grow to be 7 to 15 pounds. When attacking prey, a bald eagle can reach speeds close to 190 miles per hour. It can catch it's prey that is almost twice its size because of its wings and ability to fly so
fast and gracefully. In so making it, it is one of the strongest birds of God’s creation.

The world can and does sap the strength of a Christian. We have many accounts in the Bible but none as straightforward as the account of Samson. He spent time with the enemy. Who is our enemy? - this should be the question.   Anyone who is not for Christ is the enemy. But what is meant by spending time with the enemy?  Is working with them spending time with the enemy? It is not working with them but spending that "off time" with them, fellowshipping with them. Many times when we come home from work, we feel like we need a bath for our soul as well as our bodies. We feel like the filth of the world is invading us. Spending time with the world is not necessary spending time with the enemy. It vexes our very spiritual being.

We can sum this up with these next few statements:

You can and will lose your strength when you love the world.
You can and will lose your strength when you lay hold of the world.
You can and will lose your strength when you look like the world.
You can and will lose your strength when you lust after the world.

We must think that we need the world’s habits and music in order to fit in.  Where in the Word of God do you find the exhortation to "fit in"?

If you are truly saved and serious about serving God, you will do all you can to do not to fit into the world but to be like Jesus. 

The Lord expects us to gain our strength from Him. He has supplied the means and ways to do just that. It is written in the pages of the Bible.  It is found upon your knees.

Conclusion: Where are you in your life as a believer? Do you find yourself on the ground with the turkeys or doing as our text says "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; and they shall walk, and not faint." We need to remember the words of Isaiah found in chapter 26 and verses three and four which says "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength"

Believer, where are you in your walk with Him?

May you gain that strength and soar higher for our Lord!


Thank You for visiting today. If we can be of help in any way, please do not hesitate to ask. Much Blessings on you and yours, Dr. Joseph A.Carson - Northland Baptist Ministries