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Aug.31.04: Light for the Day - "Mounting Up Like an Eagle"
-- Isaiah 40:30,31
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and His understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
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The story is told of an eaglet that fell from his mountain nest into a wooded valley. There he discovered a roving flock of wild turkeys, and since they appeared somewhat like him, he joined them.
He ate like the turkeys, acted like them, and eventually thought like his adopted family. Occasionally he saw a solitary eagle fly majestically overhead and felt a certain kindred spirit. But, of course, turkeys don't fly very high.
Then one memorable evening as he returned to his roost, a golden eagle landed nearby. Seeing the odd behavior of a member of his own species, the golden eagle explained to him that he, too, was a proud eagle and had no business dwelling with turkeys. The youngster decided to trust the elder eagle's advice, so he spread his wings and ascended into the heavens.
Many Christians have been deceived by Satan into acting like miserable, wretched sinners because they do not realize what their identity is in Christ. The truth is this: you are a redeemed child of the Father. Believe it, act upon it, and soar into the abundant life Christ promised to His people.
-- Charles Stanley
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-- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
-- Psalms 28:7
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
8 The LORD is the strength of His people,
a fortress of salvation for His anointed one.
-- Psalms 29:11
The LORD gives strength to His people;
the LORD blesses His people with peace.
-- Isaiah 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation."
-- Proverbs 20:29
The glory of the young is their strength;
the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.
-- Isaiah 25:9
And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
-- Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
-- Psalms 27:14
Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
-- Psalms 37:34
Wait on the LORD, And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
-- 2 Corinthians 4:8-10; 16-18
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
-- Psalms 25:1-14
1 To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.
3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses, For they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11 For Your name’s sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12 Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
13 He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
-- 2 Corinthians 12:9,10
9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
-- Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary while doing good,
for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
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