On Monday I was sitting on a remote hill somewhere in the western part of Singapore, doing one of the most common things in the army- waiting- and feeling rather bored and troubled. It was a beautiful sunny day, complete with blue sky and rolling clouds. As I glanced up to the sky I caught sight of an eagle, soaring through the clouds high above the earth. I know it is quite rare to see an eagle in the sky in Singapore, but I am very sure that I saw it that day. And as I traced the path of the eagle, the words of Isaiah came to my head- "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles..."
At that very moment I caught a glimpse of what God has for us, and the freedom that he intends us to have. Imagine yourself as the eagle; imagine that feeling, of soaring through the sky above all earthly cares, of being lifted by the wind of God and letting it carry you where He desires. Imagine that freedom! Do we miss that feeling in our stressful, fast-paced lives? Do we know how that feels when we have a hundred and one cares weighing down on our hearts and minds? I caught a glimpse of that feeling that day, Praise the Lord.
"Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself..." Exodus 19:4. To be free like an eagle, we must first be free from all the earthly cares that can so easily ensnare us. These words were spoken to the Israelities, after God had brought them out of the slavery and oppresion of Egypt after nearly four hundred years. Yes, they were finally free. What modern day Egypts are we slave to? Studies? Relationships? Material wealth? Success? Glory? The fear of the future? Being free does not mean that we do not suffer or face difficulty or worry- the Israelites endured a gruelling escape through the desert from the wrath of the Egyptians, pursued relentlessly, yet God still told them that He had carried them on "eagle's wings". We may face difficulties and worries in our lives, but we can be spiritually free. Free when we place our trust in God knowing that He has a plan for us and that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. When we learn to trust in Him and allow Him to work in our lives, we will discover a peace that no matter what happens before our eyes, we know that our lives and futures are safe and secure in Him. Every single bit of our lives, nothing less. Jesus summed it up when He said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33.
But that is not the toughest battle. Quoting from Every Day With Jesus , "The real battle in life is over what we do with the self, all other things are skirmishes." The Israelites were freed from their earthly chains, but lost the most crucial battle of all in the end- the battle against themselves. Gifted with freedom and blessings from God, they chose to turn away, with astonishing speed. Just three months into their exodus from Egypt, as Moses ascended Mount Sinai for his legendary meeting, the children of God made for themselves a golden calf, to replace the Almighty God. Exodus 32 records the dreadful story. A measly golden calf, to replace the God who had parted the Red Sea and destroyed their enemies before their very eyes! What were they thinking?
Yet before we press judgement, let us examine ourselves, and let us see whether we have been guilty of the same thing. There are no Red Seas to part in our lives, nor golden calves to build, yet looking deep in our hearts, we must confess that even though God has blessed us and delivered us time and time again, our hearts constantly turn away from Him. Away from Him to seek our own desires, to appease our sinful natures. All modern day golden calves. Sad, isn't it?
But there is no despair with God, He gives us the key in one of the most oft-quoted verses of our age. "But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles..." Isaiah 40:31. While people like to focus on the words "wings like eagles", quite naturally, allow me to draw your attention to what I believe is the crux of this verse. "But those who wait upon the Lord...." The mounting up like eagles is a consequence of waiting upon the Lord; so then, what does it mean to wait upon the Lord? The words "wait upon" are used nowadays in the contexts of waiters and perhaps butlers; in Biblical days it would have meant being a servant. Yes, that is the key, to be God's humble servant.
What is humility? Humility is not belittling your achievements or your abilities; that is modesty. Humility is not denying your abilities in order to appear humble; that is false modesty. Conversely, pride is not just feeling good about your abilities or achievements, and letting people see that; that is vanity. C.S. Lewis considered pride- not lust, not anger, not jealousy- the cardinal sin, and it is not hard to see why. Satan fell because he was proud. He fell because he thought himself to be equal with God. And from there is the key to understanding what humility is.
Humility is knowing our place and where we stand. "For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as it thou hadst not received it?" 1 Corinthians 4:7. The first step in humility is recognising that everything we have- our talents, abilities and strengths, are all God-given. Some people may say, but I worked all by myself to achieve something that I did not already have! And I am proud of that! But tell me, what is within you that is not God-given? Even the strength and tenacity to achieve and break limits is God-given. Everything that you think you can be proud of within you is God-given. So why should we be proud of them when they were never ours? Why should we be proud of them when we have done nothing to receive them? "
"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man doeth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." Romans 14: 7-9. The next step in humility follows very naturally from the first. God has given us these gifts for a reason. God gave the Israelites freedom because He loved them, and because He wanted them to be a vessel of His love unto the nations. But the Israelites chose to use their God-given freedom for their own ends. Are we doing the same thing? Are we using the gifts that God has given us for His glory? Or have we chosen to use them for our own selfish desires?
Herein lies the crux of humility- to know our place, to know who we are. To know that we are God's servants, created specially and blessed by him to do His work, love and bless others and ultimately bring glory to Him. All our strengths and abilities have been given to us for one reason, and that is to bring glory to His name. It's in His Word! "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16. Following on from the previous verse, "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 4:12. And one day we will have to give an account before God, of how we have used the gifts that He has given us, to bless the people around us, and to glorify Him. It's not about us and what we can achiveve for ourselves in our lives. It's all about God. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Romans 14:11.
And so as humble servants, we must turn away from our own desires, to wait upon him- to wait for Him to reveal His desires for us, and to do as He wills, like a waiter in any restaurant would. And it is not easy; from my own experience, I have found that the struggle to be humble is the toughest of all, and I am still struggling. But before you get the impression that live as a Christian is miserable, remember the promise that those who wait will mount up like eagles, and let me testify. The times in my life when I achieved supposedly great things for myself, felt surprisingly empty and meaningless. The thing that constantly runs through my mind is- so what? But it was during those times in my life where I used what He has given me to serve and obey Him- whether it be in church, in school, or at home- were those times where I felt the most joy and fulfilment. It's indescribable. When I helped to lead a Thai woman to faith during my mission trip two years ago, the joy that I felt deep inside was unlike any I had felt before. It was the joy of being exactly who I was always meant to be- God's servant. When God gives me the opportunity of sharing my faith with people, or of encouraging and blessing my brothers and sisters in Christ, it is that same kind of feeling. I'm sure you would agree with me that you would always be most happy when you can be yourself and not have to put on appearances, or do something that you were never meant to do. And that is the case with God. In serving Him humbly we find our place. And in dedicating our lives to loving others and letting the love of God flow through us to others, we find our greatest joy.
I believe there is one more step to being humble, and that is to recognise that we as humans are not perfect, and relying on God's strength, not ours. I have come to the conclusion that I am utterly and hopelessly weak. Time and again I succumb to my sinful desires, time and again I become proud and stray away. The times in my life where I have learnt or grown were those times that God taught me, not when I tried to teach myself. The times in my life when I saw the light and experienced that mounting up like an eagle were those times when I listened to God and obeyed Him, and let Him him lead me. The times when I went astray was when I tried to lead myself, by my own strength. God has turned me back countless times from the error of my way. Oh how weak we are! "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall." Isaiah 40:30. But God is strong. I am reminded of the children's song that we used to sing- "Jesus loves me this I know, For the Bible tells me so, Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong." We are all little ones, we are all weak and helpless. But again, God is strong. "Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?" Job 39:27. It is God who will lift us up, it is God who will be the wind beneath our wings as we soar. It is up to us to choose to humble ourselves and depend on Him. "Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41: 9-10. And when we acknowledge our weakness and acknowledge His strength, we bring glory to Him. "..if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever." 1 Peter 4:11.
Read this poem that I read in Every Day With Jesus,
Saviour, why do we,
Who claim we are Believers,
See, scarcely to believe that
You can truly set us free from
Life's enslaving snares?
Why do we, who call you Lord and Master,
Resist the liberating truth that
We are only fully free when
Mastered by Your love?
With prison doors thrown wide
We gaze towards freedom's light
Yet huddle in our cells of
Self and sin, guilt and fear
Tied to earth's concerns...
Does this amaze even You, Lord?
And contrast it with the words of the song Like Eagles
Oh my soul, do you know, have you not heard
It's been told from the beginning
The Lord your God is on Your side
Oh my soul, don't be afraid, hope in the Lord
By His righteousness and power
He will strengthen He will guide
And I will soar on wings like eagles
Held by the hand of God
I will run, and not grow tired
When on His name I call
For the Lord, He is never weary
His ways are beyond my thoughts
I will trust in Him
With all my heart
And I will rest upon His promise
Patiently I'll wait
It may seem ironic that in the Christian walk, the higher we go, the humbler we must be. But is it really that hard to believe? God accomplished His greatest work here on earth when Jesus humbled himself to the maximum, out of love for us. Jesus, the epitome of humility, is now the epitome of greatness, to the glory of God. Hallelejah.
At that very moment I caught a glimpse of what God has for us, and the freedom that he intends us to have. Imagine yourself as the eagle; imagine that feeling, of soaring through the sky above all earthly cares, of being lifted by the wind of God and letting it carry you where He desires. Imagine that freedom! Do we miss that feeling in our stressful, fast-paced lives? Do we know how that feels when we have a hundred and one cares weighing down on our hearts and minds? I caught a glimpse of that feeling that day, Praise the Lord.
"Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself..." Exodus 19:4. To be free like an eagle, we must first be free from all the earthly cares that can so easily ensnare us. These words were spoken to the Israelities, after God had brought them out of the slavery and oppresion of Egypt after nearly four hundred years. Yes, they were finally free. What modern day Egypts are we slave to? Studies? Relationships? Material wealth? Success? Glory? The fear of the future? Being free does not mean that we do not suffer or face difficulty or worry- the Israelites endured a gruelling escape through the desert from the wrath of the Egyptians, pursued relentlessly, yet God still told them that He had carried them on "eagle's wings". We may face difficulties and worries in our lives, but we can be spiritually free. Free when we place our trust in God knowing that He has a plan for us and that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. When we learn to trust in Him and allow Him to work in our lives, we will discover a peace that no matter what happens before our eyes, we know that our lives and futures are safe and secure in Him. Every single bit of our lives, nothing less. Jesus summed it up when He said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33.
But that is not the toughest battle. Quoting from Every Day With Jesus , "The real battle in life is over what we do with the self, all other things are skirmishes." The Israelites were freed from their earthly chains, but lost the most crucial battle of all in the end- the battle against themselves. Gifted with freedom and blessings from God, they chose to turn away, with astonishing speed. Just three months into their exodus from Egypt, as Moses ascended Mount Sinai for his legendary meeting, the children of God made for themselves a golden calf, to replace the Almighty God. Exodus 32 records the dreadful story. A measly golden calf, to replace the God who had parted the Red Sea and destroyed their enemies before their very eyes! What were they thinking?
Yet before we press judgement, let us examine ourselves, and let us see whether we have been guilty of the same thing. There are no Red Seas to part in our lives, nor golden calves to build, yet looking deep in our hearts, we must confess that even though God has blessed us and delivered us time and time again, our hearts constantly turn away from Him. Away from Him to seek our own desires, to appease our sinful natures. All modern day golden calves. Sad, isn't it?
But there is no despair with God, He gives us the key in one of the most oft-quoted verses of our age. "But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles..." Isaiah 40:31. While people like to focus on the words "wings like eagles", quite naturally, allow me to draw your attention to what I believe is the crux of this verse. "But those who wait upon the Lord...." The mounting up like eagles is a consequence of waiting upon the Lord; so then, what does it mean to wait upon the Lord? The words "wait upon" are used nowadays in the contexts of waiters and perhaps butlers; in Biblical days it would have meant being a servant. Yes, that is the key, to be God's humble servant.
What is humility? Humility is not belittling your achievements or your abilities; that is modesty. Humility is not denying your abilities in order to appear humble; that is false modesty. Conversely, pride is not just feeling good about your abilities or achievements, and letting people see that; that is vanity. C.S. Lewis considered pride- not lust, not anger, not jealousy- the cardinal sin, and it is not hard to see why. Satan fell because he was proud. He fell because he thought himself to be equal with God. And from there is the key to understanding what humility is.
Humility is knowing our place and where we stand. "For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as it thou hadst not received it?" 1 Corinthians 4:7. The first step in humility is recognising that everything we have- our talents, abilities and strengths, are all God-given. Some people may say, but I worked all by myself to achieve something that I did not already have! And I am proud of that! But tell me, what is within you that is not God-given? Even the strength and tenacity to achieve and break limits is God-given. Everything that you think you can be proud of within you is God-given. So why should we be proud of them when they were never ours? Why should we be proud of them when we have done nothing to receive them? "
"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man doeth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." Romans 14: 7-9. The next step in humility follows very naturally from the first. God has given us these gifts for a reason. God gave the Israelites freedom because He loved them, and because He wanted them to be a vessel of His love unto the nations. But the Israelites chose to use their God-given freedom for their own ends. Are we doing the same thing? Are we using the gifts that God has given us for His glory? Or have we chosen to use them for our own selfish desires?
Herein lies the crux of humility- to know our place, to know who we are. To know that we are God's servants, created specially and blessed by him to do His work, love and bless others and ultimately bring glory to Him. All our strengths and abilities have been given to us for one reason, and that is to bring glory to His name. It's in His Word! "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16. Following on from the previous verse, "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 4:12. And one day we will have to give an account before God, of how we have used the gifts that He has given us, to bless the people around us, and to glorify Him. It's not about us and what we can achiveve for ourselves in our lives. It's all about God. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Romans 14:11.
And so as humble servants, we must turn away from our own desires, to wait upon him- to wait for Him to reveal His desires for us, and to do as He wills, like a waiter in any restaurant would. And it is not easy; from my own experience, I have found that the struggle to be humble is the toughest of all, and I am still struggling. But before you get the impression that live as a Christian is miserable, remember the promise that those who wait will mount up like eagles, and let me testify. The times in my life when I achieved supposedly great things for myself, felt surprisingly empty and meaningless. The thing that constantly runs through my mind is- so what? But it was during those times in my life where I used what He has given me to serve and obey Him- whether it be in church, in school, or at home- were those times where I felt the most joy and fulfilment. It's indescribable. When I helped to lead a Thai woman to faith during my mission trip two years ago, the joy that I felt deep inside was unlike any I had felt before. It was the joy of being exactly who I was always meant to be- God's servant. When God gives me the opportunity of sharing my faith with people, or of encouraging and blessing my brothers and sisters in Christ, it is that same kind of feeling. I'm sure you would agree with me that you would always be most happy when you can be yourself and not have to put on appearances, or do something that you were never meant to do. And that is the case with God. In serving Him humbly we find our place. And in dedicating our lives to loving others and letting the love of God flow through us to others, we find our greatest joy.
I believe there is one more step to being humble, and that is to recognise that we as humans are not perfect, and relying on God's strength, not ours. I have come to the conclusion that I am utterly and hopelessly weak. Time and again I succumb to my sinful desires, time and again I become proud and stray away. The times in my life where I have learnt or grown were those times that God taught me, not when I tried to teach myself. The times in my life when I saw the light and experienced that mounting up like an eagle were those times when I listened to God and obeyed Him, and let Him him lead me. The times when I went astray was when I tried to lead myself, by my own strength. God has turned me back countless times from the error of my way. Oh how weak we are! "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall." Isaiah 40:30. But God is strong. I am reminded of the children's song that we used to sing- "Jesus loves me this I know, For the Bible tells me so, Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong." We are all little ones, we are all weak and helpless. But again, God is strong. "Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?" Job 39:27. It is God who will lift us up, it is God who will be the wind beneath our wings as we soar. It is up to us to choose to humble ourselves and depend on Him. "Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41: 9-10. And when we acknowledge our weakness and acknowledge His strength, we bring glory to Him. "..if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever." 1 Peter 4:11.
Read this poem that I read in Every Day With Jesus,
Saviour, why do we,
Who claim we are Believers,
See, scarcely to believe that
You can truly set us free from
Life's enslaving snares?
Why do we, who call you Lord and Master,
Resist the liberating truth that
We are only fully free when
Mastered by Your love?
With prison doors thrown wide
We gaze towards freedom's light
Yet huddle in our cells of
Self and sin, guilt and fear
Tied to earth's concerns...
Does this amaze even You, Lord?
And contrast it with the words of the song Like Eagles
Oh my soul, do you know, have you not heard
It's been told from the beginning
The Lord your God is on Your side
Oh my soul, don't be afraid, hope in the Lord
By His righteousness and power
He will strengthen He will guide
And I will soar on wings like eagles
Held by the hand of God
I will run, and not grow tired
When on His name I call
For the Lord, He is never weary
His ways are beyond my thoughts
I will trust in Him
With all my heart
And I will rest upon His promise
Patiently I'll wait
It may seem ironic that in the Christian walk, the higher we go, the humbler we must be. But is it really that hard to believe? God accomplished His greatest work here on earth when Jesus humbled himself to the maximum, out of love for us. Jesus, the epitome of humility, is now the epitome of greatness, to the glory of God. Hallelejah.
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