The Eagle

Recently I noticed a beautiful eagle in flight, a majestic bird from which believers may learn important lessons. My thoughts turned to Isaiah 40:31 where the prophet wrote “Yet 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.” (NASB)

 

Wait on the Lord

Notice the requirement to wait for the LORD. Only those who obey will gain new strength. How do we wait for the Lord? Waiting does not mean to sit idly, rather we engage in the most important activity for anyone. We nurture a close, personal, intimate, and growing relationship with the Father through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. We develop this relationship by feeding and meditating on His Word, investing time with Him, praying, and listening to Him speak to us. This prompts an exchange with the Holy Spirit. As we surrender to Him, the Lord takes our weaknesses and replaces them with His strengths. He takes our thoughts and thinking processes and gives us His. We submit to Him and He empowers us. The more of our life we turn over to Him, the greater the Lord energizes us to accomplish His will. It comes down to our obedience. Are we waiting for the Lord or are we operating on our own strength?

 

Another way to wait on the Lord is to invest time with someone who encourages a close relationship with the Father. A Godly individual whose influence draws us closer to the Lord. Someone whose mere presence reflects fully the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are provided with each minute of every day not to be wasted, but to be used effectively for growing His kingdom. Sometimes He brings into our life special individuals who inspire us to nurture a close, personal, intimate, and growing relationship with the Lord. A person whom the Father sends into our life to make us more like Him. Each encourages the other to seek the Lord. He wants each of us to be as eagles, soaring majestically in the skies.

 

Eagle Traits

The eagle is used as a metaphor for strength, speed, and strategy. For instance, in Exodus 19:4 God tells the Israelites regarding their escape from Egypt that He “bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.” The eagle is a bird of great strength. Indeed, one can carry over 100% of its own weight. The Lord wants His people to utilize His great strength, yet only by waiting for Him and exchanging our weakness for his power will that ever occur.

 

David, in 2 Samuel 1:23 described Saul and his beloved friend Jonathan as “swifter than eagles.” The eagle is a fast bird. Its normal flight speed is about 60 mph and soars 5,000 to 10,000 feet, one to nearly two miles high. When diving its speed triples to about 180 mph or higher. An individual cannot soar on their own strength. Only when we wait for the Lord, surrender our frail self to Him will we obtain the energy from the Holy Spirit to become swifter than eagles.

 

Moses warned the Israelites just prior to his death that if they did not obey the Lord that they would experience tragedies and defeat. In Deuteronomy 28:49 he said that the “LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you shall not understand.” Not only is the eagle strong and swift, but it is also a flier with a strategy. Its eyesight, for instance, is at least four times better than a human with 20 20 vision. It can easily spot small prey from a mile away.

 

Learn from the eagle

Clearly the Lord desires His own to wait for Him, to allow us to be empowered by His Holy Spirit. My friend, fill your mind with His Word, invest your life with Him. Let Him bring to you a special person who will be mutually beneficial and grow closer to the Lord together. Exchange your life for His and see what God will do.

Stay Connected

More Posts