Soaring Higher for The Lord

Isaiah 40:31 – “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.”

You may recall the old hymn entitled “The Bird with the Broken Wing,” the text of which seems to indicate that sin-crippled individuals can never expect to soar to spiritual heights. When it was first written, Evangelist Peter Bilhorn thoughtlessly sang it to a group of prisoners in the Iowa State Penitentiary. As he finished a young convict sprang to his feet and said, “If what you have just sung is right, there is no hope for me or a lot of us here!” Then he sank back in his chair with a sob. Too late, the evangelist recognized his blunder. He went back to Chicago determined to write another verse that would give the song a Scriptural conclusion. Later he sang the new version for the same prisoners: Here is the new verse he added….

“But the soul that comes to Jesus is safe from every sin, and the heart that fully trusts Him shall a crown of glory win. Then come to the dear Redeemer, He’ll cleanse you from every stain; by the grace that He freely gives you, you shall higher soar again!”

Eighteen years later Mr. Bilhorn was at Camp Grant for a YMCA meeting. At the close a tall, splendid looking officer came down the aisle and said, “Brother Bilhorn, when you visited the penitentiary years ago and sang about “the bird with the broken wing,’ I was the man who asked if the words were true. When you came back and sang your new version, I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. I am now a happy Christian and a colonel in the army. By God’s grace I know that one can higher soar again!

Yes, the Savior can bind up the wounds of sin, renew your strength, and enable you to fly to spiritual heights that you had never imagined.