From The Edges – Morning Devotional – The Eagle is Circling

From the Edges – Morning Devotions
Pastor Calvin Cook
The Eagle is Circling
Scripture focus – Isaiah 40: 27-31(ECV) You people of Israel say, “God pays no attention to us! He doesn’t care if we are treated unjustly.” But how can you say that? 28 Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The Lord is the eternal God, Creator of the earth. He never gets weary or tired; his wisdom cannot be measured. 29 The Lord gives strength to those who are weary. 30 Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall. 31 But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.

Yesterday started out with a great feeling of oppression. I couldn’t necessarily put my finger on any one certain thing that was causing it, but it was like a heavy cloud over me. This heaviness caused some great feelings of anxiety and depression. I tried to maneuver through the day, but at every corner it seemed as if there were new challenges and obstacles. I felt deserted, alone, and struggled with the whole day. I kept trying to find those alone times with God but even in that place I felt uncomfortable with this feeling that maybe even God had deserted me.

If you know me or talked with me, you might have thought everything was OK, but it really wasn’t. I’m not looking for sympathy or apathy, I am admitting feelings that I realize we all go through. I, like you am very good at wearing a mask and not allowing my true concerns to show at many times. Though I do have concerns with many things, some of which I can change and some of which I can’t, I have to turn to a new page today. God has a plan and purpose for this day, and I have to lean into it and trust in it.

Here is how God answered what God knew I must have been going through and dealing with. As I was leaving the East Kane Methodist Church last evening after a great Bible study on the miracles of Jesus from Mark 8, I looked up and flying in large circles was a bald eagle. I pointed it out to the person I was with and we had some conversation about how majestic and beautiful the eagle is. Here in the Alleghany National Forest bald eagles have become a common occurrence to see, that is if you are looking for them.

I instantly felt the scripture that I share with you from Isaiah 40 to speak. The words of instruction and care outline for me a new day; God is paying attention, but am I paying attention to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Have I realized even embraced the eternal God and that we are not living within the conditions of an earthly kingdom but of an eternal heavenly kingdom. That as weary and tires as I get, God never does. For as many times I want to give up, God never does. That we can’t even measure or imagine the wisdom of God. If we have that availability to the wisdom of God, why do we even allow a lesser way to govern our steps.

Yes, I realize as Isaiah affirms there will be times when we stumble and fall, but when we fall or get beat up by others or ourselves, we will once again be raised up by trusting in the one true God. The one true God, not what anyone else says God is or who God is, but the one true God who loves us and ask us to love him by keeping the commandments and following as close as we can.

A closing thought is this – When we see Vultures circling, we associate it with death, a death is about to occur or has occurred. Vultures circle in groups, evil and everything associated with it is circling as well in a group or barrage of things. Eagles usually circle by themselves, independently. The message is great will our focus be on the vultures and all the evil that is swirling around us that speaks of death and damnation or will it be on God, the one true God, the God of all power and authority that is eternal and calls us to hope and peace.

I am praying today that our hearts, minds, and souls are set on the newness of what God wants to do and not what evil is trying to destroy. I am looking for the Eagle not the vultures.