Dear Friend,

Today I want to write to you about the power of waiting on the Lord. In Isaiah, there is a beautiful yet powerful verse that says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Today I want to focus on the part of this verse that says we will “mount up with wings like eagles.” But let me pause for just a moment to give credit to Col Stringer’s beautiful book On Eagles Wings where I gathered some of the information I used in this letter.

The eagle is such an accomplished flier that he can soar above the storms and even cyclonic conditions with complete mastery of flight. Other birds are thrown and tossed around by these powerful winds — but not the eagle. Aircraft designers have been unsuccessful in trying to copy the eagles’ slotted-wing structure. The eagles’ feathers are tapered at the tips to form slots, and these slots act like shock absorbers.

So, if we are waiting on the Lord, drawing on the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we are like the eagles’ wings which have shock absorbers. Let me explain. When something hits us and tries to knock us out of our place or maybe tries to steal our joy or our peace, the mighty Holy Spirit on the inside of us acts like a shock absorber, and instead of being thrown around, we stay steady.

bookmark2A direct quote from On Eagles Wings says, “In conditions which would be difficult for a man to stand, an eagle can hover as steady as a rock, the wing tips moving constantly and automatically to make adjustments to the air currents.”

Friend, that’s you and me! We can be just like that eagle if we are waiting on, leaning in, and listening to the Holy Spirit. Even in the fiercest of storms, He is making adjustments in us to keep us as steady as a rock.

Take for example the eagles’ eyesight. Eagles can see five times better than humans. But God gives you and me eyes to see with understanding and mercy through the power of the Holy Spirit. In a tense situation if someone was railing on you, it would be natural to want to rail right back. But you and I have eyes like the eagle. We can see deeper into the situation, and with the wisdom of God, know what needs to be said (or not said), and extend that person grace.

And some eagles can fly at speeds of 200 miles per hour. When they see their prey from far up in the sky with their powerful eyesight, they dive down to attack the prey. While diving at 200 miles per hour to get their food, something miraculous happens: At 15 feet away from their desired meal, their wings instantly spread out and their sharp talons come out. This instantaneous spreading of their wings acts like brakes to slow their flight speed so they will be able to catch and secure their food.

Likewise, in our relationships with other people, especially difficult people, there might be times we have to put the brakes on. Say, for example, you are moving along quite nicely in your day — everything is going well and you’re getting done all that needs to be done. Then all of the sudden you see something that needs extra attention. There’s a problem, maybe a very serious problem. For us to be successful in our relationships, we have to be ready and willing to interrupt our flight and put the brakes on. Like an eagle puts the brakes on, we have to put the brakes on to not only deal with the situation, but to also put the brakes on any strife or contention that may try to arise. We have the power and authority within us to do this.

We find a great example of this kind of power and control with Queen Esther. She was ruling as queen and “had it made.” But for Queen Esther to save her people, she had to move out of her comfort zone, spread her wings of authority and put the brakes on. She stopped to listen, fast, pray, and humble herself. But waiting on the Lord like eagles — like Esther — we must put our brakes on and spread our powerful wings of authority to accomplish what needs to be done. We, like Esther, must move out of our comfort zone and listen and lean in to hear His voice. Like Esther, who put her brakes on and saved a nation, you and I, by listening and waiting on the Lord, put on our brakes to stop strife or walk away from offense or fear to embrace courage. We have powerful influence in our choices, and we need to recognize this power like the powerful wings of the eagle.

Do you need to put your brakes on like the eagle, spread your beautiful wings of authority and grace in the Spirit and be able to do the right thing? My friend, the Word says those that wait upon the Lord are going to rise up like eagles! You have in you the Spirit of God to rise up like an eagle, to see like an eagle and give mercy and understanding to difficult people, to hover in a storm like an eagle, and to put the brakes on and spread your powerful wings and listen to hear the exact instruction to make powerful change.

If you have prayer needs or a testimony you want to share with us, please let us know. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org. Friend, by the powerful Holy Spirit inside of us, we are all called to rise up with wings as eagles. It’s time to soar!

Moving forward together,


Denise Renner