Waiting For Wings

Every step was hard work. My lungs were screaming for more oxygen. My 60 lb. pack seemed like 600. The 11,000 ft. mountain looked like … well, an 11,000 ft. mountain.
We had driven to Montana and had been hiking for two solid days in the Gallatin National Forrest. We were close to our goal. We wanted to get to the lake near the top, set up camp and stay put for a few days. When we got there, we’d fish, explore and stare at God’s unspoiled creation.
But I was spent. There was no place to camp along the trail, so I had to find a way to keep going. But, the trail seemed to be unending. It was steep and rocky. I needed rest.
Then, I heard something move. Way up in the trees. I looked up and couldn’t believe my eyes. A huge bald eagle. It was so big it shook the entire 50-foot pine tree as it spread out its wings and took off. I watched it fly away. It quickly passed the spot we were trying to get to and soared to the top of the mountain. In that moment I wanted to fly! I wished I could leave that trail behind as easily as that eagle had left that tree. After I saw him, I made it to the top. I guess I couldn’t wait to see what he saw. Couldn’t wait to be where he was. Somehow I knew it would be worth it. A few hours after we set up camp, the trail didn’t seem so long. The mountain didn’t seem so big.
I thought of the phrase somewhere in Isaiah, “They will soar on wings like eagles…” Who is “they” I wondered. I later dug in and found it: Isaiah 40:31.
“Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”
Who gets “wings like eagles”? Those who “wait for the LORD!”
Wait!? Waiting is hard. Who likes to wait? Americans don’t. That’s why we invented microwaves. High-speed internet. Overnight and even Same-day shipping. We pay big money for people to speed things up and shorten our wait time. We want what we want and we want it now! “Don’t ask me to wait—I’ll take my business elsewhere!”
But God asks us to wait. Wait for Him. The idea behind “wait” in this verse is “confidence”. The word originally meant “to twist or bind.” It is a picture of several cords being twisted together to make a rope. A rope that can be trusted. A rope you could go mountain climbing with and have complete confidence it would hold you.
Waiting for the Lord is believing God’s promises. Having complete confidence that God is in control. Whatever He decides to do, whenever He decides to do it, is the very best thing at the very best time. Sound simple? What about when you’re tired? Hurting? Ready to give up? Then, “waiting” is an act of faith. It is a demonstration that we really believe God knows best.
That’s who this verse was written to originally—people who were tired, hurting and ready to give up. God was promising them that He had a plan. That plan included a tough time for them, but He hadn’t forgotten them. He would change everything. But they would have to wait for His timing. They would have to have confidence in God.
But what does this have to do with eagles’ wings? That’s the payoff! Waiting is rewarded with the ability to fly like an eagle. Not literal flying, of course—spiritual flying. I hope you’re not too disappointed because spiritual flying is better. Really! Spiritual flying is having the eagle’s perspective. We get it by being closer to God! Being near Him and looking at our problems the way He sees them. We will receive His strength when we have His perspective.
Think about the eagle’s view of things. He looked down on that trail I was struggling to climb. It didn’t seem so long to him. Even the mountain didn’t seem so big—he soared above it. Life is full of trails and mountains for each one of us. For the spiritual eagle—one who waits for the Lord—those trails don’t seem so long. Those mountains don’t seem so big. If we have confidence that the trail will come to an end and that we’ll conquer the mountain eventually, we can keep going. Then, when we reach the top, we can look down and say it wasn’t such a long trail. Not such a big mountain. The climb was worth it.