SOARING ABOVE OUR STRUGGLES
I was flying over central California at 20,000 feet. The pilot announced “If you look to your right, you’ll have a great view of Yosemite National Park.” Gazing out, a miniature version of the Yosemite Valley unfolded below us, including Yosemite Falls. It was like someone scooped up this national park and put it inside a snow globe. It furnished me with a fresh perspective of the world below me.
It’s amazing how different the world looks from 20,000 feet. People and vehicles disappear. Highways stretch like tiny ribbons. Huge lakes are smaller than a thimble. Mountains, seemingly insurmountable, resemble anthills. That’s also true with life on terra firma. When we rise to heights with God, our insurmountable struggles shrink drastically.
Sometimes we need a 20,000-foot perspective on life—to rise above the stress and strain of everyday struggles, in which we’re stuck. We need to view life from a broader perspective. Isaiah 40:31 states, “Those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]” (AMP). According to this text, how do we rise above our troubles and “soar on eagles’ wings?” A four-letter word: “Wait.” It’s hard. In fact, it can be downright painful. Because we hate to wait.
What does this spiritual practice of “waiting on the Lord” mean? We hang out with him; spend time with him; slow down and listen to his voice. As we wait, God draws us like a magnet into fervent prayer and meditation—not the cursory “Now I lay me down to sleep” stuff. We surrender to his will, and soak in his presence. We learn to trust his whats, his whens and his whys, even when they don’t make sense. Externally nothing changes in our lives—our problems still remain. But everything changes inside us. Waiting on the Lord, we soar like eagles, and look at life in new ways. Having experienced so much trauma over the past two years, I can testify that gaining God’s perspective on life changes everything.
During difficult days, ask God to help you see your problems from his perspective (Romans 8:28); to see your destiny from his perspective (Ephesians 2:10); and your future from his perspective (Jeremiah 29:11). Seeing life through God’s eyes, we’ll find ourselves soaring at 20,000 feet.
Principle: When we wait on the Lord, we can rise above our struggles and soar like eagles.
Ponder:
At what times in the past or present have you found yourself waiting on God?
How do these situations cause you to rise above your circumstances and gain a new perspective on life?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Isaiah 40:27-31.
Loving Father, thank you for your promises. In the midst of pain help me to wait on you, and see my struggles through your eyes.