EVEN EAGLES SUFFER

In Isaiah, chapter 40, we learn about God's comfort for His people. As a prophet of the Lord, God gave Isaiah insight that he was to share with his people. Isaiah taught us that a saviour is to come, what the signs of His coming is and how to be prepared for it. He also taught us that God is holy and just and that He will comfort us in times of need.

The eagle is seen by most as the most powerful creature that God made. An eagle can grow to have a wingspan of more than seven feet across!

They can fly at speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Pilots have reported seeing eagles at heights of 15,000 to 16,000 feet or more. Eagles court at this great height. They lock talons and free fall for several thousand feet mating as they fall.

They are also known for their keen eyesight. If you had the eyes of an eagle, you would be able to see a sign with three inch letters from a distance of 1 mile. Eagles can see a small fish jump in the water from five miles away.

Eagles also have a great strength. Did you know that a 20 pound eagle has so much strength in its claws that he can break a man's arm? That is some strength.

The transition to adulthood is not without struggle. One of the greatest verses in the Bible about eagles is recorded in Deuteronomy.

"Like an eagle that stirs up it's nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch then and carries them on its pinions (back). The Lord alone led them." Deuteronomy 32:11-12

You see, the mother eagle will raise her young and when it is time to learn flight, she will stir up the nest. The mother eagle will pick apart the soft rabbit fur lining and leave the sharp, bare sticks. This makes the eaglet uncomfortable in the nest and builds a desire to leave. Likewise for us, God stirs up our nest and allows us to be uncomfortable.

Then the mother eagle will hover over her young. She no longer brings them the large quantities of food as she has in the past. This builds the hunger in the eaglet that furthers the desire to leave and hunt. The ultimate goal is to live on their own. All they have known is that mom always brings them food and now that they are expeiriencing hunger the desire grows so that they will want to leave the nest and get their own food.

Then the mother takes the youngster on her back and climbs to a high altitude. She flips over and drops the eaglet. As he falls, he beats his wings wildly about and then just before he hits the ground, the mother catches him on her back and takes him back up and drops him again. This process is repeated over and over until they learn

God allows us to struggle. How many of us has at one time or another said 'my job is unbearable', or 'everything in my life is too much.' God wants us to have periods of comfort and joy but we need also need those times that are difficult to get through so that we will seek His ways.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

When we make the choice to follow Jesus, we inadvertantly think that all of our suffering will magically disappear. We find ourselves questioning the existance of God and His Love when we are faced with adversities such as cancer, divorce or loss of a loved one. Jesus told us "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart."

The ninth chapter of John records Jesus healing a blind man. This mans life changed. He had known blindness from birth and now he was joyous because Christ Jesus restored his sight. The Pharisees, the very enemies of Jesus, tormented the man and his parents because they did not believe in Jesus' holiness. He was kicked out of the synagouge, his faith was questioned and he was even accused of being an imposter.

Sometimes, we expeience a trial and a Christian friend will say 'read James 1:2-4'.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds.." Those words are hard to swallow. 'How can I be joyous when I am going through a hardship?' The answer lies in the rest of the verse. "...because you know that the testing of you faith develops perseverancce. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything"

The purpose of struggling is to make us mature and enhance our witness. When things are going great no one wants to be around you but when things are bad everyone wants to hear you talk. I challenge you, the next time that you are at work and someone askes how you are doing, tell them that you are great. That nothing could be better. I tell you from experience that most people will not stick around. But if you say that everything is going all wrong and that you are miserable, more people will stick around to offer advice and to see if you will practice the teachings of Jesus or question Him.

Tim Hansel was a moutain climber. After he had been in an accident, he wrote a book entitled "Ya Gotta Keep Dancing." In it he writes:

"Suffering is inevitable but misery is optional."

Read those words again. They are powerful.

There are five ways that we can respond to struggle.

1. We can respond irrationally - Elijah had been rejected by the Israelites and when God came to him He told God,

   "I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

   (1Kings 19:14)

2. We can respond resentfully - Job's wife told Job, "Curse God and die." (Job 2:9)
3. We can respond passively - 'Things are going great but I am not going to get too excited.' or "Things aren't going very well but I am not going to get too depressed."
4. We can respond faithfully - Job refused to die. He said "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"(Job 2:10)

   We have all heard the verse:

   "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."(Romans 8:28)

   Remember, God is not unfair, life is. We must be faithfull in all things, good as well as bad.

5. We can respond creatively - Paul was in prison when he writes:

   "Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gopel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace quard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ."(Philippians 1:12-13)

   Paul used his time of imprisonment not as a hinderance but as a springboard to reach others. He showed others in the prison that it was better to have the salvation of Christ than to live without it

   Another person who responded creatively was Fanny Crosby. Even though she was blind she penned one of the most well known hymns, Blessed Assurance.

   "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh what a foretaste of glory divine...This is my story, this is my song. Praising my saviour all the day long."

The choice is yours to make. You can make things bitter or better. You can take a passive, ho hum attitude or you can take the situation that you are in and make it better.

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" -Isaiah 40:31

WHERE ARE YOU AT RIGHT NOW?

Are you soaring? Do you say that life is great? Are you on top of the world? If you are soaring, your life can be summed up by saying "I'm fantastic!"

Perhaps you are saying "I'm fine. I'm living day to day and things are neither good nor bad they are just there." If this is you then you are running.

If you are just stuggling to get by, then perhaps you are are just walking. You seem to be saying "I'm trying to keep up. I am barely hanging on to my faith. my marriage is in shambles and jy life is a complete wreck. I'm finished.

If you are in this last group I want you to realize that you ARE walking! You are not dead and you can soar like the eagles. Lay down your cares at Jesus' feet and let Him tackle those nasty problems for you

My prayer for you is that you will learn and grow through stuggle. When life is at its worse, it is at its best. If you question that, remember that Christ Jesus lost his earthly life on that cross. Yet three days later he arose from the tomb. He conquered death and left nothing behind in the tomb. The power to overcome any obsticle is ours. He gives it to us.

Never lose your hope in the Lord. Through the good times and the bad, you can grow from it.

And always remember, sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks ahead.

In Jesus' powerful and holy name

Amen

All Biblical references (unless otherwise noted) are from the New International Reference Bible, Copyright © 1994 by the Zondervan Corporation. Used by permission.

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