Articles And Notes

On Eagle's Wings

By

Randy Vild

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A long time ago when the world was new, God made all the birds on the 5th day. When doing so He colored their feathers like an exquisite bouquet of flowers. He then gave each a distinctive song to sing. At this point God instructed these wonderful creatures to greet each new day with a chorus of songs. And their voices announce the morning to this very day.

However, of all the birds that were made, our Creator chose the Eagle to be the leader. The Eagle is an extraordinary creature. It possesses great beauty as well as tremendous strength and skill. Furthermore, it is shown great deference in the scriptures.

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

The Eagle is also highly respected by man. For Americans, this bird is the symbol of our country. Its image is engraved on our national seal, which appears on flags and monuments. Additionally, when we lay our eyes upon this creature we can’t help but be amazed. Its flight is nothing short of dramatic. Each of these great birds seems to just glide on the air with movements that are more elegant than a waltz.

But is there something we can learn from this majestic creature? Are there lessons that God’ wants us to understand? Consider how the Eagle is made.

An Eagle’s Eye

Did you know that Eagles are capable of seeing fish swimming from several hundred feet above the water? This is quite an extraordinary feat, since most fish are counter-shaded, meaning they are darker on top and thus harder to see from above. Ask any fisherman how difficult it is to see a fish swim just below the surface from a boat deck, let alone from several hundred feet.

Eagles, like all birds, have color vision. Their eyes are almost as large as a human's, but its sharpness is at least four times that of a person with perfect vision. The Eagle can identify a rabbit moving almost a mile away. That means that an Eagle flying at an altitude of 1000 feet over open country could spot prey over an area of almost 3 square miles from a fixed position. Incredible is the vision of an Eagle.

Eagles in a Storm

Did you know that an Eagle can detect when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? It will actually fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. Isn’t that remarkable?

While the storm rages below, the Eagle is soaring above. It does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. What an extraordinary way to deal with adversity.

There is a wonderful lesson for God’s children to learn from the way an Eagle approaches a storm. When the storms of life come upon us, we too can rise above them. We can lift ourselves above adversity by setting our minds and our hearts toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us any more than they overcome the Eagle. We can allow God's power to lift us above them. Furthermore, the storms (or trials) of life can actually help us in our walk of faith. This is because they build something in us that will be a part of our lives forever. Notice what Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2Cor. 4:17)

Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them. The Eagle knows there will be storms and he prepares for them. We should be no different. At this point it is important to understand that God never promises in His word that if we believe and follow Him there will not be storms in our lives. But He does tell us that storms are not to be seen as a curse, but actually a blessing. Consider the words of James.

My brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations (trials); Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (James 1:2-3)

Here is something to think about. When the Eagle flies above the storm he is in a sense overcoming it. But he does so in a most interesting way. He uses the strength of the storm to rise above it. That is what God wants us to do. He wants us to use adversity for gain. We need to learn from trials—to grow from the experience and be made better. Trials are not to be fled from, but rather to be confronted. We must face the things that challenge us and grow in virtue because of the challenge. Here is something else to think about: God is not looking for escape artists to rule in His Kingdom, He is looking for overcomers. And He has a wonderful promise for them.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Rev. 3:21)

Eagles Represent God’s Freedom and His Love

We as Christians have been given freedom. We have been released from the bondage of this world.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. The bondage Paul was speaking of is SIN. (Galatians 5:1)

We are God’s children and he loves us very much. As a matter of fact God cares for us like a mother eagle cares for her young chicks. Consider how she teaches her chicks to fly. The mother eagle watches her baby eaglets carefully; the nest is always very high. A fall would mean certain death for them. However, despite this fact she intentionally stirs them up so that they will not be content to simply lie in the nest. The mother Eagle then flutters over them to make them want to use their wings as she does. She then pushes them out of the nest and flies down beneath, carefully watching them so no harm will come to her children. When her mother eye sees the little wings growing weary, she spreads out her great strong wings; catches her young and bears them back to the nest for rest.

Wow! She protects her young by capturing them on her wings. Isn’t this what God does for us? He protects and rescues us in times of trouble. Notice how He describes Himself to the children of Israel.

You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. (Ex. 19:4)

“He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings.” (Deut. 32:10-11)

Here, Moses is telling God’s people how He deals with his children. This is what God does for us, bears us on eagle's wings. Furthermore, God not only did this for the children of Israel nearly 3500 years ago; He will do it again to His Church in the last days.

“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.” (Rev. 12:14)

An Eagle’s Story

Faith in the Night Seasons begins with a story about a wounded eaglet that was rescued by a kind farmer. He found the bird in one of his fields, and so took him home, tended to his wounds, and then placed him outside in the barnyard to recover.

Strangely enough, the young eaglet soon adapted to the habits of all the barnyard chickens. He learned to walk and cluck like them. He learned to drink from a trough and peck the dirt for food, and for many years he peacefully resigned himself to this new life on the ground.

But then one day, one of the farmer's friends spotted the eagle and asked, "Why in the world is that bird acting like a chicken?" The farmer told him what had happened, yet the man could hardly accept the situation.

"It's just not right," said the friend. "The Creator made that bird to soar in the heavens, not scavenge in the barnyard!" So he picked up the unsuspecting eagle, climbed onto a nearby fence post, and tossed him into the air. But the confused bird just fell back to earth and searched for his feathered friends.

Undaunted, the man then grabbed the eagle and climbed to the top of the barn. As he heaved him off the roof, the bird made a few halfhearted squawks and flaps before falling into a bale of hay. After shaking his head a few times, the eagle then made himself comfortable and began mindlessly pecking at pieces of straw.

The friend went home that night dejected, and could barely sleep as he remembered the sight of those powerful talons caked with barnyard mud. He couldn't bear the thought, so the very next day, he headed back to the farm for another try. This time he carried the eagle to the top of a nearby mountain where the sky unfolded in a limitless horizon.

He looked into the eagle's eyes and cried out, "Don't you understand? You weren't made to live like a chicken! Why would you want to stay down here when you were born for the sky?" As the man held the confused bird, he made sure the eagle was facing into the brilliant light of the setting sun. Then he powerfully heaved the bird into the sky,

and this time the eagle opened his wings, looked at the sun, caught the updraft rising from the valley, and disappeared into the clouds of heaven. God’s children were born to fly. They were created by a loving God to soar. He has called them to live in the heights, yet too many have huddled together in the barnyard, and become content and comfortable with crumbs. Hellen Keller once said, "One can never consent to creep when he feels an impulse to soar."

God’s people need to cultivate and exercise that impulse. If we do, we will one day soar like Eagles.