This final verse in our text is familiar powerful, and uplifting.

It says that if we trust and hope in God, we will mount up with wings like eagles, run and walk, and never weary. This shows that God’s strength for us is like that of an eagle.

Eagle can notice a fish from a mile away, dive down at 100 miles per hour, and catch it with its paws before the fish ever realises what happened. The eagle is a positive symbol in the Bible, representing protection, guiding, and nurturing. When we put our trust in God and ask for help, He often dives into the situation and pulls us out of it. God plunges into our despair, and we soar on wings like eagles. Everything is miraculously better since God has rescued us from this situation.

Such is today’s story in the Gospel of Mark. Peter’s mother-in-law had a fever, and Jesus took her hand and raised her up, healing her. The Gospels provide several examples of Jesus’ healing ministry. Luke 17 tells the story of the ten lepers, who faced severe difficulty. Then, they encountered Jesus. They stood some distance away from him and cried out to him, “Jesus, teacher, have mercy on us.” Jesus responded, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And then, as they went, they were cleansed; Jesus instantly saved them. What about Moses? God commanded Moses to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt. But Moses said, “I can’t do it. I’m not good at talking.” God said, “I will help you.” Even though God performed wonders with the Ten Plagues, Moses led the people out of slavery. It took time and was difficult for Moses. He was terrified, unsure, and ready to give up. But God provided Moses with all of his gifts. Finally, with God’s help, Moses did not give up, and things changed. God and Moses collaborated on solving the problem of slavery, leading to Israel’s liberation. With God’s help and in God’s strength, Moses ran and didn’t grow weary, and the situation changed.

However, there are times when God’s help doesn’t change the situation at all. He doesn’t save us from it, and He doesn’t give us the power to fix it ourselves. During such moments, we might feel that God is unconcerned, uninterested or quiet regarding the situation we are in. This was the situation in Isaiah’s text. Many years they have passed since Israel was taken into exile in Babylon. During that time, their identity as God’s chosen people had faded, and they had forgotten the many miraculous things God had done for them. Just as we can easily forget about God when everything is going well in our lives, the Israelites’ hope in God has faded. Isaiah steps in to remind them of who God is: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?”.

Perhaps, in their memories, they selectively recall what suits them—focusing on the hardships they faced. Despite having heard and experienced the stories of their ancestors and knowing who God was, living in captivity made them forget the Creator God. They had witnessed God, who laid the foundation of the earth, steered history, and provided sustenance in the wilderness when they were hungry. Such theological amnesia causes us to fall apart every time a crisis comes. It is what happens when you hear the feared “cancer” word or the doctor tells you they found a spot on your lung. Some of us defiantly cry. Others of us worry in desperate silence. Like the returning exiles, we wonder whether God hasn’t gone off and left us.

What happens when we forget the God who is Creator and Sustainer, Redeemer and Friend? The moment we confront trouble, we collapse with anxiety and stress. The prophet Elijah, capable as he was,  faced a moment of fear and failure after defeating the prophets of Baal. He hid in a cave from Queen Jezebel, who sought to kill him. The contrast between trusting in God and lacking trust is evident in Elijah’s story. Discouraged to the point of wanting to die, the word of the Lord came to him, asking, “What are you doing here, Elijah? Why are you so stressed out? Get up and get moving again! Have you forgotten what I have done for you throughout your life? Have you forgotten that I was with you when you came face to face with the prophets of Baal? Why do you keep forgetting me?”

In today’s text, Isaiah tries to cure the theological amnesia of the people of Israel. He enthusiastically speaks the word of God, emphasising that people should know that God has not forgotten them. Why are you forgetting God? Why are you worrying? To be precise, our body wasn’t designed to handle worry. Did you know that concern is an attempt to control the uncontrollable? Therefore, the worries we have on a daily basis result from not trusting God. Trusting in God is not something you do only when you suddenly need to trust in Him. It requires the discipline to trust in God. Our daily walk with God and our face is to be fixed on Christ.

 To those who have lost their trust in God, to those tired of their lives, and to those desiring to return to God, He fulfils promises and empowers them. And those who trust in the incomparable Lord will gain the new strength God has in store. Then we will rise on wings like eagles.