A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Wednesday,
October 3, 2018
View from
north lookout point at Hawk Mountain
(Click
to enlarge)
"A
Lesson From Hawk Mountain"
Message
summary:
By
God's grace, as you wait on the Lord,
may your strength be renewed and may
you spiritually soar above the
inevitable storms of life!
Listen
to our message on
your audio player.
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).
Yesterday,
following our chaplain visit, we drove
up to Hawk Mountain, one of the premier
bird flyways on the east coast. Hawk
Mountain is part of the Blue Mountain
Ridge in the Appalachian Mountain chain,
located in east-central Pennsylvania
about 70 miles from our home. Due to the
wind currents it is a prime spot for
bird watching during migration. We took
a very rigorous hike to reach the north
lookout point which pretty much wore us
out but it was worth the effort. We're
accustomed to trails that are well
packed down but Hawk Mountain has rocky
paths you must carefully navigate and at
times climb to make your way to the top.
We are both sure feeling it this
morning!
Serious bird watchers staff the lookout points and keep a count of the birds. It was a bit more overcast yesterday than we would have preferred but they were still tallying birds of various types.
Of course like many we were especially hoping to see the eagles but we didn't see any yesterday. We listened as the spotters identified the birds using their mega zoom binoculars. But birds, like "turkey vultures," are really not that appealing. We want to see hawks and eagles! I did seek to contribute when I offered this observation, "I am pretty sure they're not California Condors flying way out there".
On November 3 they have a program scheduled called "Eagle Day" and you will see both the Golden eagle and Bald eagle, courtesy of the Carbon County Environmental Education Center. This is the only day you are 100% guaranteed to see these eagles up close!
For many years I have really liked eagles. I sure didn't see them when I was a child growing up in the Kansas City area. We presently live several miles from the Susquehanna River where there are several eagle nests. Once in a while we actually spot a soaring eagle from our office window. So today let us consider the best known Scripture verse on eagles. Today's message is especially for those who are weak and need strength.
The daily Scripture text is
among the first verses we committed to
memory as young Christians in Bible
College. It was a popular chorus at the
time and really still should be since
it's merely singing the very words of
Scripture. It has often been a source of
encouragement and strength in my life.
They that wait upon the Lord
Shall renew their strength
They shall mount up with wings of eagles
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint
Teach me, Lord, teach me, Lord, to wait.
Isaiah 40 is recognized by many to be among the most powerful chapters of Scripture and in fact many secularists acknowledge the superb literary beauty of this passage.
The daily text is the final verse in this great chapter. What a promise! Read it slowly and aloud if you are able: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength". Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote these words some 2,700 years ago. Yet the Word of God is living and active and presents unchangeable truth. God still gives strength to those who wait on Him.
It presents an essential key to personal renewal and strength - waiting on the Lord. We look back and recall when we accepted the Lord, first placing our hope and trust in Him. That's wonderful. But this verse refers to an active, present tense sense of waiting, hoping and trusting in the Lord. The Amplified Bible is helpful in expressing the depth of the Hebrew word, "Those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]."
The Full Life Study Bible makes this observation: "To hope in the Lord is to trust Him fully with our lives; it involves looking to Him as our source of help and grace in time of need. Those who hope in the Lord are promised:
The
image of a soaring eagle is used. "They
shall mount up with wings as
eagles." Many have observed the
ability of the eagle to soar above the
storms and likewise through our hope
we can soar above the storms of life.
Today we encourage you to place an active hope in the Lord. Undoubtedly many of you have serious matters you are waiting on. By God's grace, as you wait on the Lord, may your strength be renewed and may you spiritually soar above the inevitable storms of life!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
it is under Your wings that
we are protected against the
fierce wind currents of
doubt, fear, and impatience.
Such troubling emotions
weigh us down and can pull
us right into the path of a
pelting storm. But it is
through eyes of faith and a
heart of trust that we can
mount up with You and soar
like eagles above the
assaulting storm and wait it
out until the rainbow
appears; Your divine
covenant of promise, written
out in all the colors that
are pleasing to behold. You
promise never to leave us
nor forsake us which gives
us courage to wait and trust
You to fully answer our
prayers. It is in the name
of Jesus that we pray. Amen.
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).
Yesterday,
following our chaplain visit, we drove
up to Hawk Mountain, one of the premier
bird flyways on the east coast. Hawk
Mountain is part of the Blue Mountain
Ridge in the Appalachian Mountain chain,
located in east-central Pennsylvania
about 70 miles from our home. Due to the
wind currents it is a prime spot for
bird watching during migration. We took
a very rigorous hike to reach the north
lookout point which pretty much wore us
out but it was worth the effort. We're
accustomed to trails that are well
packed down but Hawk Mountain has rocky
paths you must carefully navigate and at
times climb to make your way to the top.
We are both sure feeling it this
morning!Serious bird watchers staff the lookout points and keep a count of the birds. It was a bit more overcast yesterday than we would have preferred but they were still tallying birds of various types.
Of course like many we were especially hoping to see the eagles but we didn't see any yesterday. We listened as the spotters identified the birds using their mega zoom binoculars. But birds, like "turkey vultures," are really not that appealing. We want to see hawks and eagles! I did seek to contribute when I offered this observation, "I am pretty sure they're not California Condors flying way out there".
On November 3 they have a program scheduled called "Eagle Day" and you will see both the Golden eagle and Bald eagle, courtesy of the Carbon County Environmental Education Center. This is the only day you are 100% guaranteed to see these eagles up close!
For many years I have really liked eagles. I sure didn't see them when I was a child growing up in the Kansas City area. We presently live several miles from the Susquehanna River where there are several eagle nests. Once in a while we actually spot a soaring eagle from our office window. So today let us consider the best known Scripture verse on eagles. Today's message is especially for those who are weak and need strength.
The daily Scripture text is
among the first verses we committed to
memory as young Christians in Bible
College. It was a popular chorus at the
time and really still should be since
it's merely singing the very words of
Scripture. It has often been a source of
encouragement and strength in my life.They that wait upon the Lord
Shall renew their strength
They shall mount up with wings of eagles
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint
Teach me, Lord, teach me, Lord, to wait.
Isaiah 40 is recognized by many to be among the most powerful chapters of Scripture and in fact many secularists acknowledge the superb literary beauty of this passage.
The daily text is the final verse in this great chapter. What a promise! Read it slowly and aloud if you are able: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength". Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote these words some 2,700 years ago. Yet the Word of God is living and active and presents unchangeable truth. God still gives strength to those who wait on Him.
It presents an essential key to personal renewal and strength - waiting on the Lord. We look back and recall when we accepted the Lord, first placing our hope and trust in Him. That's wonderful. But this verse refers to an active, present tense sense of waiting, hoping and trusting in the Lord. The Amplified Bible is helpful in expressing the depth of the Hebrew word, "Those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]."
The Full Life Study Bible makes this observation: "To hope in the Lord is to trust Him fully with our lives; it involves looking to Him as our source of help and grace in time of need. Those who hope in the Lord are promised:
1)
God's strength to revive them in the
midst of exhaustion and weakness, of
suffering and trial;
2) The ability to rise above their difficulties like an eagle that soars in the sky; and
3) The ability to run spiritually without tiring and to walk steadily forward without fainting at God's delays. God promises that if His people will patiently trust Him, He will provide whatever is needed to sustain them constantly."
2) The ability to rise above their difficulties like an eagle that soars in the sky; and
3) The ability to run spiritually without tiring and to walk steadily forward without fainting at God's delays. God promises that if His people will patiently trust Him, He will provide whatever is needed to sustain them constantly."
The
image of a soaring eagle is used. "They
shall mount up with wings as
eagles." Many have observed the
ability of the eagle to soar above the
storms and likewise through our hope
we can soar above the storms of life.Today we encourage you to place an active hope in the Lord. Undoubtedly many of you have serious matters you are waiting on. By God's grace, as you wait on the Lord, may your strength be renewed and may you spiritually soar above the inevitable storms of life!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
it is under Your wings that
we are protected against the
fierce wind currents of
doubt, fear, and impatience.
Such troubling emotions
weigh us down and can pull
us right into the path of a
pelting storm. But it is
through eyes of faith and a
heart of trust that we can
mount up with You and soar
like eagles above the
assaulting storm and wait it
out until the rainbow
appears; Your divine
covenant of promise, written
out in all the colors that
are pleasing to behold. You
promise never to leave us
nor forsake us which gives
us courage to wait and trust
You to fully answer our
prayers. It is in the name
of Jesus that we pray. Amen.Some more scenes
from our visit to Hawk
Mountain
The north lookout
point is the premier spot for
bird sightings
Click to
enlarge
A panoramic view at
the north lookout point
Click to
enlarge
The long trail to
the north lookout point
requires some very strenuous
walking and even a bit of
"scrambling", which means "a
walk up steep terrain
involving the use of one's
hands". Brooksyne took the
photo of this section on the
way back after we had climbed
it. In this case they had
handrails which were helpful.
Interestingly, at the top of
the mountain there is an
infestation of stink bugs with
their distinctive odor
permeating the area! However
since the odor is similar to
Cilantro, one of my favorite
herbs, I really don't find it
that objectionable.
Another view of the
trail with lots of rocks.
This is the outdoor
toilet at the top of Hawk
mountain! One would really
have need for the facility to
head up another set of stairs
after having climbed over so
many steep and jagged rocks.
The south lookout
point from Hawk Mountain is
not quite as dramatic as the
north lookout but is a great
view nevertheless and looks
down over the Appalachian
Trail.
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental
Resources
Location of Hawk
Mountain on Google Map
Joyce Reed was a part of
the church we served in New
England about 25 years ago.
Commenting on our message "A Sleep Study"
she wrote, My mother said, 'When
you can't get to sleep, start
praying and the devil will put you
to sleep.' Works lots of times for
me."
Finally
today:
We
are not much into selfies but we
wanted to show that we really made it
to the top!
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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