“The Holy Spirit instructs us on how to run our race with God, while Jesus inspires us by modeling the way.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 28, 2022
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, NKJV
“No bird soars in a calm,” says Wilbur Wright, a co-inventor with his brother Orville of the first flying machine. Wow, no bird soars in a calm, and such is your abundant life in Christ. You soar by God’s grace not despite the winds of adversity but because of the headwinds of hardship. Calm can cause you to lessen your need for the Lord…to strive in your spirit, but the gusts and crosswinds of troubles help you harness the Spirit. The Wright Brothers, trained as bicycle mechanics, were voracious readers and learners. Additional insights from their comprehensive study of birds’ flight: “The vultures needs are few, and his strength is moderate. And so what does he know? He knows how to rise, how to float aloft, to sweep the field with keen vision, to sail upon the wind without effort…he sails and spends no force, he never hurries, he uses the wind” (Empire of the Air by Mouillard).
You access the Holy Spirit’s strength by first waiting on the Lord. During your time of waiting, Charles Spurgeon describes how being dependent on God is expressed in healthy expectations from God, “But waiting upon God means something more than dependence upon God, so I go a step farther. If we depend upon God our expectation is from Him. We wait upon God as the birds in the nest wait upon the parent bird, expecting from her their food. Before she comes you hear their cries, and when she comes if you look into the nest, you will see nothing but so many gaping mouths, all waiting, expecting to be filled by the mother bird.” So, first, wait on the Lord by placing your expectations in Him, not in people or circumstances. Expect what God wants for you, and you will not be disappointed. The Spirit strengthens your peace, resolve, faith, and love.
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
When I think of running, I think of sweat, elevated breathing…growing weary. Yet, the Lord has us run a race of faith that energizes instead of exhausts. He leads us into a grace pace that patiently prepares and harnesses energy. The idea of a grace pace is not unlike a pace car’s role in a professional car race. “Both in NASCAR and IndyCar, a pace car has two functions. It leads the field through several warm-up laps prior to the start of the race, and it also heads to the front of the field during caution periods to reduce the speed of the cars on the track.” Similar, to a pace car, The Holy Spirit instructs us on how to run our race with God, while Jesus inspires us by modeling the way. Wisely, when the warning lights on life’s dashboard flash—the Lord slows us down to renew our strength. We soar as we slow down…we pray, we perceive, and we renew.
You can know the Lord’s heart for you is not to strive but soar. Like a bird, spread your wings of faith under the uplifting wind of the Holy Spirit. Yes, soaring is a little scary at times! Your vision may be blurry at best. You may feel out of control. You may be uncomfortable. You may struggle with confidence. Ah, but the view! Soaring in the Spirit takes you to places you’ve never been, so you can help others soar to places with the Lord they’ve never been. Mount up with prayer, run with grace, and walk in love and obedience. Eagles are fearless, graceful, beautiful, and beloved. And…so are you!
“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, lead me to run the race of faith by your grace, strengthened by love and obedience, through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Check out these very practical ideas on how to live unhurried. (How to Un-Hurry)
Related Reading
Isaiah 41:1; Psalm 51:10, 103:5; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:22-24
Worship Resource
Bethany Wohrle/Bethel Music: My King Forever
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