Made to Soar

Sumatrans love to own birds as pets. Most of the birds are small and colorful, but on occasion you might see a big bird of prey like this Golden Eagle. There is something wrong about seeing a majestic bird like this caged. Eagles weren’t made to be caged. They were made to soar!

What is more tragic, birds like this who have been in captivity for a long time forget how to soar. They learn to accept being caged, and may even be fearful to leave their cage. The cage is what they know, and the unknown is scary. Freedom does come with risk and responsibility, but the benefits are far better than captivity.

In a like manner, God didn’t create man to be caged, or enslaved by sin. As an image bearer of the Most High God, man was made to for freedom; to live nobly before the Lord. Many Sumatrans live lives not much different than this caged eagle. They are working to earn forgiveness of sin, but instead of finding freedom the chains are getting thicker and heavier. When they are told of a way to freedom that doesn’t depend on what they do, but on what Christ has done they often reject it. They are comfortable in their self-made cages of religion and tradition, and the thought of being free doesn’t seem like Good News. It seems different, unknown, and scary. To them it seems wrong.

Isaiah reminds us that those who wait upon the LORD will mount up with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). The peoples of Sumatra will never experience this unless they are first willing to let go of what they have in order to receive what God wants to give to them.

Pray for those caged by sin on Sumatra to hear the Gospel and be set free to soar.

Pray for those who are already soaring to help the newly released to learn how to stretch their wings and soar.

Pray for the caged on Sumatra to desire freedom and to find freedom in Christ.

Pray that they will be willing to let go of the known in order to receive grace that is greater than all their sins.