Why do they wait for the thermals?

A question for today: Why do eagles wait for the thermals in order to soar and fly?

Answer: They have been taught from a young age to conserve their energy and to know that they are created to use the winds to their great advantage. They are not designed to flap their wings all the time.

"But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind." - Isaiah 40:31 (The Message)

In the same way, I believe that God has designed us to rely on His Spirit, so that we may soar and live for his glory. Sadly, there are many times when I forget this and I flap my wings too much, trusting in my own perceived strength and less on God's gift to me.

Prayer thought: It is tempting to be 'busy' the whole time, believing that our work is for God's glory, but sometimes we need to WAIT for the right moment and the right thermal. Our waiting my seem frustrating, especially when we see others flying/flapping all around us, however if we want to reach Godly heights, we must wait for his Spirit.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Great question!

The writer of Ecclesiastes asks such a brilliant question today: 

^"What do people gain from all their labours at which they toil under the sun?" - v.3

This is a question which has plagued people for thousands of years. What do we get from all the years of work? What purpose is there in working our hearts out in order to 'survive' and then die? It seems a little dramatic, but as he came to the end of his life, he was wondering what the purpose of his life had been? And then in order to try and begin to answer the question he looks around at the world and muses...

 ⁴ Generations come and generations go,
    but the earth remains forever.
⁵ The sun rises and the sun sets,
    and hurries back to where it rises.
⁶ The wind blows to the south
    and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
    ever returning on its course.
⁷ All streams flow into the sea,
    yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
    there they return again.

My 5 cents worth today is this:  Life will be monotonous and will lack direction unless we surrender to the will and purpose of God. I believe that God allowed me to be born and that God wants me to live my life for his glory and purpose. This doesn't make me a puppet, but rather a willing part of God's grand creation. I will not live forever, but I can testify to the Grandeur of a gracious God and trust my future days into his hands.

In some way the routine and ritual of the rising and setting sun, as well as the wind and streams around us, can be a calming reassurance that God's ways are purposeful and refreshing.

What do you think of these verses today?

Living in grace

D3LM3

Chasing the wind

 

  
We are having a lot of strong South Easterly winds at the moment in the Western Cape. All this wind reminded me of the thoughts of Solomon who spoke about a 'chasing after the wind', which is obviously an impossible task.
 
"Fools fold their hands
    and ruin themselves.
Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil    and chasing after the wind." - Ecclesiastes 4:5-6

As we head into the 3rd week of 2020 let us resolve to focus our hearts on things of value and not on things that are a 'chasing after the wind.'

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Howling wind

At the moment I am listening to the wind howling outside my office window and it conjures up all kinds of thoughts, most of which make me imagine myself hiking through Antarctica (although I have never been close to the place). It is funny how a sound can spark off some random thoughts in our minds. On a related note, I checked to see if there were any scriptures that related to the 'howling wind' and this is the closest one.

“For the people of Israel belong to the Lord;
    Jacob is his special possession.
¹⁰ He found them in a desert land,
    in an empty, howling wasteland.
He surrounded them and watched over them;
    he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes.
¹¹ Like an eagle that rouses her chicks
    and hovers over her young,
so he spread his wings to take them up
    and carried them safely on his pinions." - Deuteronomy 32:9-11

Even though we may find ourselves in a 'howling' wasteland, God still watches over us and he still comes to find us. Rest assured in that amazing promise.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Wind at your back

"May the wind be always at your back."
I never fully understood the impact of these words from the old Irish Blessing, until I began to run around Fish Hoek. Some days I can find myself really straining against the wind whilst on a jog, but then I turn down a side street and suddenly the wind is blowing on my back. Wow, it makes a world of difference. It almost feels as if the wind carries you along the road and the journey feels much more pleasant.

So, in light of this, I pray that we would all experience the wind upon our backs and that God would carry you along your journey. I realise that their will be times of strain and struggle ahead, but may most of our days we 'running with the wind.'

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Living in Grace
D3LM3