Majestic.  Peaceful.  Powerful. In the winds of the crisp autumn currents I saw a bald eagle glide its way to a tree limb high above the fields on our family dairy farm in Pa.  

For those of you who live in the northern coastal states of Maine or the New England area, this might be a normal occurrence.  But for the landlocked counties of western Pennsylvania it is not.  Here, in this part of the world, there are Red-Tailed Hawks and Kestrels in common everyday appearances.  Eagles?  No.  

My son and I were out on a quad ride to enjoy the fall colors and I happened to take my camera. I’m so glad I did.

There is something about seeing God’s creation in natural form.  I love viewing wildlife.  I sit out in the woods often; I really enjoy getting close to the animals God made. Seeing the way that they behave, gather food, interact with each other, it never gets old to me.  I often am blessed watching deer or squirrels.  At times I’ve seen coyotes.  Being able to share these moments with the next generation is even more precious to me.

I actually couldn’t believe the moment was happening.  Who would have ever guessed that an eagle would allow you to be under its perch without being afraid?  I relished in what I thought to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

When the eagle was finished letting us view its beautiful elegance, it decided to take off and give us a show of its grace and grand splendor.  It burst with an explosion of power in its wings.  There was a certain effortless energy that propelled it up and away, and once it attained the elevation it desired, it simply stretched its wings wide and soared to the next treetop hideaway.  It was a mix of might, power, and strength unneeded.  At its disposal, the powerful wings could have carried it to the heavens.

But the eagle didn’t do that.  It simply soared.

Makes me wonder.

I will never forget one of my past students and friends who told me one day his favorite Bible verses. It has stuck in my mind for years. 

Isaiah 40:28-31

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.

In light of what I witnessed, and in light of how tired and weary I know a Christian can feel, I read this verse again.  Wow. Incredible.  If this is you, please do the same and take another look at those precious words.

Even in my weariness, when I wait for the Lord, he will renew my strength like this eagle.  I will be endued with power not on my own accord, but because his Spirit is inside me, the source of an indwelling strength without end.  I am overcome with the knowledge that an indescribable majesty is actually inside me, radiating from me, and I will possess a power unknown and incomprehensible to those around me.  Possessing the strength to explode with energy and take flight to the heavens, I could pump my wings and reach heights high above my troubles and worries.

But just like the eagle, I don’t need to.  God has taken care of everything.  I can soar in his presence.

The eagle is fearless. He has all the power available at his disposal to flee, to attack, or to kill.  Instead, he simply soars.

I can’t contain the joy of this important message God is showing us.  We, as his followers, don’t need to fear, worry, fret, or live in anxiety. We can be steady, like the eagle atop a tree, knowing full well I had no power over it looking up from down below.  Though I thought my presence would spook it, the eagle wasn’t worried about me being below in the least.  If I think about it, why would it?  I had absolutely nothing to threaten it with.  Instead, it was confident.  Poised. Seeing danger but never being alarmed. Because our strength has been given it by God.  

God promises this to us too.

My challenge to you today is to actually receive what God has blessed us with.  If you feel weak, rely on God’s strength.  If you are weary, be recharged with God’s promise.  Be like the eagle.  Be what God has empowered you to be.  Enjoy the power and peace he has instilled inside of you.  Be everything God wants of you.  He wants it for you too.  He already made you this way.

Soar.

By Chuck Carr