One of the more interesting visual images given in Scripture is that of the eagle. Two brief passages present the imagery of the eagle; the first passage presents the visual of God likened to an eagle caring for its children and the second passage likens the people of God to the eagle.
- As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, So the LORD alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him. (Deuteronomy 32:11-12, NKJV)·
- But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31 NIV; also see Exodus 19:4 NIV)
So, what do you think? If the parent is referred to as an eagle and the child is, too, what does that mean? Yes, that’s right! We were born to fly, to soar like the eagle!
Eagles are known for their ability to soar high above the earth. Some eagles are reported to be able to catch a thermal draft and fly 15,000 to 20,000 feet high. But the ability to fly is not something that eagles are born with—they have to learn this skill. Eagles are not eagles if they cannot fly! Turkeys don’t fly, they strut and cackle!
Eagles build their nests far above the earth, usually at the top of a tall tree high up on the side of a cliff or mountain. In a few minutes you will understand why.
Mom and dad eagle build the nest from sticks and then they pad the interior with feathers, down, grass and leaves. They don’t want their babies to have sticks poking them all day long so they make sure the nest is comfortable and softly lined.
An eaglet has a pretty good life. A great view, a soft bed, and room service throughout the day as mom and dad bring in the latest menu items of road kill.
Baby is growing and enjoying this good life. How easy it would be to spend the rest of one’s life living in this kind of laid-back comfort.
One day mother eagle seems to lose her mind. Instead of bringing the hungry eaglets food, she hovers over the nest and with the downdraft of her powerful wings she blows all the comfortable padding out of the nest. The comfort flies away and what’s left are the eaglets and a less-than-comfortable bed of sticks. But, hey, this is still a pretty good life, with room service and a great view.
But with the stirring of the nest everything begins to change. Instead of bringing the food into the nest, mom and dad start having the children come to them. First, the children have to climb up and get their food at the edge of the nest. Well, that’s new and a little inconvenient, but the children handle it. Then one day no more service into the nest at all. Instead, the parents hover with the food just outside the nest and baby is forced to climb to the edge and stretch out and take the food. A few days later, parents have moved back a little further and as hungry baby tries to reach for the food, it slips and begins to fall.
Baby cannot fly because it has no strength in its unused wings, so down it tumbles and “it ain’t flying but it’s sure trying.” Mother is ready for this and she swoops down and under the falling child, catches it and carries it back to the nest. Baby is unharmed and safe because mother is there.
The next day it’s the same thing. Down goes the child with wings flapping and flapping but it has not learned to fly—yet. Over and over the lesson is repeated and slowly strength comes into the baby’s wings. One day as baby falls and instinctively begins to flap its wings, suddenly everything begins to work and it begins to fly for the first time. Baby is not a baby anymore; now it’s an eagle because eagles know how to fly.
Mother had not lost her mind when she stirred the nest and blew the comfort out of the eaglet’s life. Mother knew that for an eagle to be an eagle, it had to learn to fly.
God will stir our nest and at times He will remove the comfort from our life. He knows that left to our own ways we will choose comfort over faith and so the training begins.
God knows that we have to learn to walk by faith, because without faith we cannot do His work and we cannot please Him.
He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will never be inattentive to your cry but He will stir your nest and teach you to fly because, “They shall mount up with wings as eagles.”
You were born to fly!
