But those who wait on 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.
ISAIAH 40:31
Most people stop reading and thinking at the "wings like eagles" part and dream of a trouble-free, boredom-free, uninhibited, unhindered, joy filled, pleasurable life with God. They think of this soaring high with God as the pinnacle of experiencial life with God and the only real mark and end of actually knowing Him. But infact, the reality of that verse is that the flying on wings is the first of 3 DOWNWARD steps not the top of 3 upward steps. We move down from flying like an eagle to running without weariness and from there further down to walking without fainting. No-one gets excited about the ability to do the latter two do they? "Wow, I will be able to run and not be weary! and even better, I will be able to walk and not faint!" I mean, we walk every day, some of us run - it's not that hard to do really, but as for flying, hmmm, nope!
Read through any book of the New Testament and you will see that the Christian life is not described as one spent up in the air above the earth but as one with feet firmly fixed on the ground as endurance runners and Pilgrims! - hence the running and walking (yet all the while we are citizens of Heaven.). The connection to feet outnumbers that to wings by 2:1! Feet are used more than wings - nevertheless there are apparently times for using and developing wings.
In his wonderful book 'Figures of Speech Used in the Bible' E.W. Bullinger identifies a figure of speech in this verse called, catabasis (gradual descent) and says:
"Cat-ab-a-sis, a going down: from kata, down, and basis, a going. This is the opposite of Anabasis, and is used to emphasize humiliation, degredation, sorrow, etc.
The Latins called it DECREMENTUM, i.e., decrease - an increase in the opposite direction, an increase of depreciation."
Specific to Isaiah 40:31 he says:
"The figure Catabasis here illustrates the effect of growth in Grace. At first the believer flies; but as his experience increases he runs and at the end of his course he walks. Like Paul who first said "I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles" (2 Cor 11:5, 12:11). Later he writes, I "am less than the least of all the Saints" (Eph 3:8); while at the end of his life he says, I am the chief of sinners! (1 Tim 1:15)."
But don't think that the depreciation from flying to walking equals a depreciation in Joy! While thinking about this I remembered a verse that I feel is linked, Phil 1:25,
"And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,"A Pilgrim's progress is not made in the air but on the ground and all progress brings Joy to the one who gave due diligence in doing the Word of God. This Joy is the very same Joy that Jesus Christ Himself had in Fellowship with the Father while He 'dwelt' (tabernacled) on the earth.
I haven't been Walking with God for many years but when I see how I have changed, even in little ways, it gives me Joy - because I am not only with Jesus, I am in Him too and being confomed to His image. Imagine that!
Do you think God gets anything out of our Joyful Progress of Faith? Truly, our Progress is dependent upon our submitting to God's discipline and correction, or in a word, Love (see Proverbs 3:12). Do you think God likes it when we obey this discipline and direction/correction? After all, our Love to God is our obedience to His every Word (John 14:15,21,23,24) and this Love is, as I have reliably been told, back-at-cha!
God's Discipline IS Truth and Love. So when we get in line with His correction what we are doing is walking in Truth (see 2 John 1:4), and as John says, as a Father it gives him "no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in Truth." (3 John 1:4)
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.
Prov 8:17
May all of God's Children take time to spend time in God's Word with Him at their side and then to listen and watch for Him and Obey Him.
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