Riding the Thermal

It was a beautiful spring-like day today. A beautiful day to take a walk. The wind was brisk and the sun was warming the earth. My eye caught sight of our resident red tail hawk circling in the sky. I stopped to observe its pattern of movements. The hawk would glide along on the air current and then flap its wings until it again rode within the thermal column of warm air that rose from the warm earth into the surrounding cooler atmosphere. I thought, there has to be a lesson in this. I was reminded of Isaiah 40:31 Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
We desire to ride the wind of the Spirit so we don’t over exert ourselves. The hawk never stayed in the same place and seemed to keep rising as I watched. We can get into that thermal column, as we read the Word, asking for revelation by the inspiration of the Spirit. He will direct our steps and guide us into the truth. I think of the Father’s love shining through Jesus, the Son, warming our lives so we can do the work in His strength. Those who wait or trust and look expectantly to the Lord will gain new strength. My Bible note says the word gain means ‘exchange’ as used in a change of clothes. So we take off our way of doing things in our own strength and choosing to walk in the grace of God, receiving life-giving energy when we are weary.
Walking in the grace gifts which the Holy Spirit has given us also releases God’s divine energy in our lives. The grace gifts are how we minister and serve others. According to Romans 12:6-8 there are 7 motivational gifts. I learned about these many years ago and it released me to flow in the gifts that were most dominant in my life. These 7 gifts are perceiver, server, teacher, giver, administrator, and compassion.  Take a free test to see what your motivation might be. http://www.gifttest.org/. 
My main motivation is an exhorter and encouraging people is what gives me divine energy. It is interesting to see how we individually flow in our gifts and how we can learn to love and appreciate each other so that the whole body will be built up. When many eagles circle together in a thermal, they are called a kettle. May we be a kettle or rather the vibrant body of Christ for His honor and glory.