MOUNTING UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES

This verse came to my mind one morning when watering my yard and seeing bird feathers everywhere.  I picked them up and began to look at Isaiah 40:31 a little closer.  Wait!  How many times have you read this verse?

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.

 Each time I would read this verse I thought the Lord may have been telling me to sit still, listen and watch. Let’s take a moment and dig deeper.  Let’s see if he might be saying something more than just to sit and do nothing.

In Strong’s Hebrew Concordance, the word "wait" is הוק qavah (kaw-vaw’), which means, to bind together. We see the importance of binding together in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

Two are better than one;

because they have a good

reward for their labour.

For if they fall,

the one will liftup his fellow:

but woe tohim that is alone when he falleth;

for he hath not another to help him up.

Again, if two lie together,

then they have heat:

but how can one be warm alone?

 And if one prevail against him,

two shall withstand him;

and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

First, we need to be entwined with the Lord.  We need to be so interlocked with the Lord so much that his ways becomes our ways,

Secondly, we need to have a close relationship with other Christians.  These are people who can help us learn to study, pray, witness, and serve others better.

The more feathers a bird has, the more protection he has against the elements of nature.  Surround yourself with other Christian brothers and sisters.  Doing so will help protect you from the elements of the world.

You’ve heard the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.”  Surrounding ourselves with other Christians gives us more stability and strength.

We have many birds in our trees.  As I began to study out the things that feathers do, I gained a new insight on Isaiah 40:31. 

This is a list of the things that feathers are used for:

  1.     Protection from the weather
  2.     Controls Body Temperature
  3.     Protection from wind, moisture and sun
  4.     Swimming and diving
  5.     Floating
  6.     Balancing
  7.     Feeling 
  8.     Hearing
  9.     Making Sounds
10.            Muffling Sounds
11.            Looking for food
12.            Keeping Clean
13.            Aiding in Digestion
14.            Constructing Nest
15.            Transporting Water
16.            Escaping from Predators
17.            Sending Visual Signals
18.            Camouflage

When looking even deeper at the eagle I was even more amazed.  The eagles have from 7,000 to 7,200 feathers on his wings.  When the eagle is not in flight he preens his wings. His wings are made out of beta-keratin which is water resistant and wear resistant much like fingernails. The eagle feathers have interlocking barbs and a special coating that is oily. When the eagle preens his wings the oil is secreted from a gland at the base of the tail or on the back. When the eagle is preening, what is taking place?

•         Binding together his feathers for optimum waterproofing and insulation.

•         Binding together his feathers into the most aerodynamic shape for easier, more efficient flight.

•         Removing feather parasites and body lice that can destroy feathers or carry disease.

•         Removing tough sheaths from newly molted feathers.

•         Creating a healthier appearance to attract a mate.

Now looking at the word, “wait” in this light, what do you think we should be doing?

Remember, the word “wait” means “to bind together” or “twist together.”  If we desire to renew our strength there are some things the Christian needs to do besides just sit and ponder on what the Lord has in store for us.

Oil is mentioned repeatedly in the scripture as something we are to use.  Should we take the example of the eagle and follow it, since this is the way the eagle gains its strength? 

Maybe the Lord is telling us something deeper than we have been seeing. We need to take the time and cleanse ourselves as the eagle does while waiting.  Psalm 51:2 states:

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin.

So the next time you need to wait on the Lord, take the time to bind together, as the scripture says, with your Christian brothers.  While doing so, be sure and use the oil of the Lord, which is God’s Word.  Receive his anointing and you will be able to do as it says in Isaiah 40:31. 

You will find the Lord has renewed your strength; and you shall mount up with wings as eagles; you shall run, and not be weary; and you shall walk, and not faint.