Carried on Eagles Wings

Isaiah 40:31 is an encouraging verse: "they will soar on wings like eagles ...".  Many a time I have heard it quoted, and in the past year people have kindly offered the verse to me by way of encouragement. It is a great image - a fantastic bird gliding effortlessly in the currents and slip-streams high above the ground.

Now it could well be that Isaiah was picking up on a reference in Exodus, where God is describing how he brought the people out of Egypt (Exodus 19:4). Curiously that was an episode firmly on the ground. In fact it must have been something of an ordeal - they had to walk into the desert, and learn to trust God totally for their protection (chapter 14) and for the most basic of provision (chapter 15 & 16).

Clearly with the benefit of hindsight (or a bird's eye view!) one can see how God carried them through the somewhat arduous journey. Yet at ground level 'how on earth can we survive this?' must often have been a relevant question.

It seems to me that the encouragement therefore is not that God will lift you out above & beyond the pain or difficulty, but he will lead a way through in which (once you have got your head round it) it is apparent that you only made it with His supernatural help, i.e. above & beyond what could normally be expected.