On our trip to church this week, Anne and I were trying to catch up on the sermon series at Bent Tree and heard Joann do a wonderful job explaining God’s sovereignty titled “I’m in the details.” In her definition of sovereignty, she said God not only wants us to know that He is our refuge but to feel that He is our refuge. She quoted John Piper who said, “God is not an employer looking for employees, God is an eagle looking for people to cover in the shadow of His wings.”
For the last few months, I have really enjoyed reading Andrew Murray. I started with his small book Absolute Surrender and then moved to his compilation of essays titled Prayer. He describes waiting on God like this – “You know how the eagles are taught the use of their wings. See yonder cliff rising a thousand feet out of the seas. See high up a ledge on the rock, where there is an eagles’ nest with its treasure of two young eaglets. See the mother bird come and stir up her nest, and with her beak push the timid birds over the precipice. See how they flutter and fall and sing toward the depth. See now how she “fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings” (Deut 32:11), and so as they ride upon her wings, brings them to a place of safety…. He (God) stirs up your nest. He disappoints your hopes. He brings down your confidence. He makes you fear and tremble, as all your strength fails, and you feel utterly weary and helpless. And all the while He is spreading His strong wings for you to rest your weakness on and offering His everlasting Creator strength to work in you. And all He asks is that you sink down in your weariness and wait on Him. Allow Him in His Jehovah strength to carry you and you ride upon the wings of His omnipotence.”
I cannot think of better words to describe the last few months for us as we have been “waiting.” Business projects have been postponed, trials have squelched our hopes, weariness has set in on the Clark Family. Looks like God finally has us at a place to use us and take us where He wants us to go in the shelter of His wings.
Oh, how deep the Father’s love for us. Jay