Fly Like an Eagle

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives strength to the weary, and to the one who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:28-31

Many years ago, my youngest son entered that toddler phase, filled with endless questions about everything his little eyes could see and his curious mind could imagine. One morning, as they were driving down the road, he began asking my husband one question after another. At some point, my husband began answering the questions absent-mindedly and must have replied, “I don’t know,” to a certain question. He was quickly brought back to the conversation as my son’s little voice quipped, “How could you not know?”

Every time I read Isaiah 40, I think of my little guy's question: "How could you not know?" In many ways, God asks His people the very same thing: "Do you not know? Have you not heard?" God's questions weren't meant to shame His people. Rather, God was calling them back to the truths they already knew but had stopped believing in the midst of their circumstances.

From the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all throughout many centuries and generations, God had been with His people. Over and over again in the Old Testament, there are stories of God rescuing, protecting, and providing for Israel, even though they repeatedly wandered away from Him. No matter what they did, He remained faithful to His covenant promise. (Genesis 15)

Despite all they had witnessed, Israel repeatedly forgot God's faithfulness. Whereas the knowledge of His mighty works should have driven them toward faith in God, they instead placed their faith and trust in false gods of their own making. Sometimes those idols were the false gods of the surrounding nations, but very often their greatest idol was self-reliance.

Unfortunately, in my own life, I tend to react just like the people Isaiah was addressing in this passage. Even though time and experience have taught me God's Word is true and His promises are sure, when life becomes difficult, I often rely on my own ability to figure things out. My gaze shifts away from God—the One who is in control and alone can bring peace to my heart—and turns instead toward finding the answer myself.

In recent years, my version of self-reliance has been the pursuit of knowledge. I search the internet to read countless articles and books related to my situation, hoping to discover answers and a way to resolve the issue. Somehow, I convince myself that everything will be better if I can just find the right answer—if I can solve the conflict or discover the cure for the medical condition.

But, as Solomon wisely reminds us, this is merely "striving after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:17). Knowledge certainly has its place, but it was never meant to replace trust in the One whose understanding is unsearchable. When I begin looking to knowledge for the peace and certainty that only God can provide, my gaze shifts away from Him and onto myself.

Our easy access to information only intensifies this temptation. Within seconds, we can pull out our phones and search for answers to almost any question. Yet instead of bringing peace, the endless stream of information often fuels greater fear as worst-case scenarios and negative outcomes fill our screens.

Solomon discovered this long before the internet existed. He wrote, "For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow" (Ecclesiastes 1:18). Information alone can never quiet an anxious heart. Only the God whose understanding is unsearchable can do that.

My search for answers may seem like an innocent endeavor, but when I look deeper into my heart, I realize it is about much more than gathering information. Like Eve in the garden, I want control over my circumstances. The temptation is the same. If I can just gain a little more knowledge, then perhaps I can secure the outcome I want and become less dependent on God.

The problem isn't my desire for answers. God invites us to seek wisdom. The problem is my desire for control.

My sinful nature continually pulls me toward self-reliance. I research, I plan, and I worry, believing that if I can just figure everything out, I can fix it myself. Yet every one of those pursuits reminds me that I am not God.

As Isaiah reminds us, self is a limited resource, but God is not. I grow weary. My understanding is limited. My perspective is clouded by fear. But the Everlasting God never grows weary, His understanding is unsearchable, and His power has no end.

In verse 31, Isaiah gives us the reason why dependence on God is the only way to fully live life. God knows our nature is to endlessly strive to control our circumstances, and He knows that pursuit will end in futility. Instead, He offers us a better way.

Waiting on the Lord is not passive; it implies an active hope and expectation that God is present and is working in our lives. Isaiah reminds us that as we wait on Him, He will give us the strength and the peace we need to walk through any circumstance. When we put our trust in God rather than ourselves, our striving after the wind ceases, and we discover the strength to soar with wings like eagles.