A few years back, I had the pleasure of photographing a golden eagle near Navaho Lake on Cedar Mountain.  I attached a picture of it to this article.

As I gaze at the photo, what captures my attention is the look of its eyes.  That glare is one of fearlessness and confidence.  It knows without a doubt it rules over all creatures that roam beneath its perch.

I remember arriving back at my apartment that day in Cedar City where I began to download the photo to my computer. As I viewed the photos, I remembered one of my favorite Bible passages that references eagles:

“Have you never heard or understood?  Are you deaf to the words of God – the words he gave before the world began?  Are you so ignorant?  It is God who sits above the circle of the earth.  The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers!  He is the one who spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.  He judges the great people of the earth and brings them all to nothing.  They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and their works wither.  The wind carries them off like straw. ‘To whom will you compare me?  Who is my equal?’ asks the Holy One.

Look up into the heavens.  Who created all the stars?  He brings them out one after the other, calling each by its name.  And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away.

O Israel, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?  How can you say God refuses to hear your case?  Have you never heard or understood?  Don’t you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth?  He never grows faint or weary.  No one can measure the depths of his understanding.  He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.  Even youths will become exhausted and young men will give up.

But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.  They will fly high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint.”  – Isaiah 40: 21-31NIV

The Power of Doubt

I don’t know about you, but I can see and have felt the power of doubt in my own life.  It has a level of fear all its own – one that drains your hope and energy to go on.  Doubt clouds our vision and perspective in a powerful way – becoming an effective tool for Satan as he steadily chips away our confidence in God.

In the passage above, the nation of Israel faced this kind of doubt.  It wondered if God really understood its plight or if God even connected with their suffering.

Is there something happening currently in your own life where doubt has plagued your thoughts?  Has this powerful force weakened your resolve and blinded your vision of a better future?

Has a long-term illness caused you to give up ever living a healthy, normal life again?  Do you doubt that God sees your financial needs or really cares if your relationships flourish?  Is there a dream in your heart that looks so unrealistic you doubt it’s really worth pursuing any longer?

If the power of doubt has crept into your life, realize its origin is from Satan.  Recognize that doubt isn’t uncommon.  All of us experience it in some form.  Learn to see doubt as an evil force that is out to separate you from God’s power and all He has planned for your life.

The Power of God

As I read the questions posed to Israel in this passage, I can relate to the feelings of ignorance and confusion that doubt brings to the surface of our lives.  I can see how it clouds the truth – the truth behind the power of God.

Like the eagle, God sits high above His creation – observing and ruling over all things.  Great people, leaders, or problems are under His domain.  I love how the verse describes that power!  A simple breath from God can blow away any enemy or wither any evil scheme!

I love the questions God poses to His people:  Who will you compare me too?  Is there anyone or anything equal to me?

He begs them (and us today) to look up at the stars – realizing who created them, put them in their place, and is constantly watching over them!

If you’re experiencing the power of doubt today, I pray that you open your mind and your heart to the power of God.  His power can crush any disease, heal any relationship, and bring life to any dream you hold close.  God never grows weary under the weight of our problems.  His understanding of them is beyond our ability to fathom.

God’s power can give us strength in the midst of doubt – especially when it has drained our ability to go on.

Take some time today to embrace all the signs and wonders around you that represent God’s power in your life.  Go outside tonight and gaze at the stars – just as God pleaded with Israel to do in their moments of doubt.  Just as God reminded them, know that He sees your troubles and understands the problems you face in ways you cannot imagine.

The Powerful Promise Associated with Waiting

After God acknowledges our doubt and reminds us of His great power, He provides us with a wonderful promise in this passage:  Wait on me and I will give you a new kind of strength – a supernatural power that will help you endure any situation you face.

We often try to face the power of doubt on our own.  Over time, it can leave us drained and worn out.  God implores us to wait on Him as we face our problems and He will give us the grace each day to keep going!

In this passage, He exposes our human weakness, saying even the youthful and strongest men among us grow weary with time, eventually tiring and giving up.  When we wait on God, His deliverance and His timing, we have the strength to soar above our problems – just like being on the wings of an eagle!

Like the eagle, we too can possess a sense of fearlessness and confidence, knowing that God’s power can crush any doubt that exists in our life – giving us the power to endure as we wait on Him 🙂

Father,

Help us to see our doubts in their true light – nothing but an evil distraction that seeks to blind us from the truth.  Give us insight and wisdom to see your almighty power each day as we look around the world you created – helping us to realize that nothing can defeat your purposes and plans for us.  Like the eagle, help us to soar high above our problems with a fearlessness and confidence as we wait for your guidance, direction and deliverance. 

Amen