Eagle’s Wings

Eagle’s Wings

When we face troubles in life, we often say “Why?””Why God?””Why Me?” We say it in anguish and agony of our heart. A similar question can be found in Isaiah 40: 27- “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? (‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭27‬ NIV). Here God is asking through his prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel why do you say my way is hidden from The Lord. Today God is asking the same question to everyone who’s asking “Why God Why Me?”

It does not end with a question there but God gives answer to the question in the next part.
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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 ‭40‬:‭28-31‬ NIV)

God answers saying have you not known or heard that I am an everlasting God? I have created everything. There is nothing impossible for me. I never grow tired or weary and no one can phantom my wisdom and understanding. I give strength to the weary and power to the weak. Though the youths and young men who you think are strong can go tired and weary but to those who puts there hope in me, they will soar on wings like eagles! They will walk and not faint! What an amazing God! What a wonderful Promise! What a great privilege to serve such a great God!

Many will wonder the last part why God put eagle as an example for those who trust him. In psalms it is said “who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (‭Psalm‬ ‭103‬:‭5‬ NIV). Why God makes eagle as an example to those who trust him?

Eagle unlike other birds lives a long life upto 50-70 years and is quite heavy around 20lbs. And so they have long wings to enable them to fly. They have a long wingspan of almost 2 meters when fully extended. There is a story behind the life cycle of eagle but am not sure to what extend it is true but since it is an inspirational story I would like to share it down here.

It is said the average life expectancy of an eagle is 30 years. By this age the feathers become thicker and heavier and makes it hard to fly and it’s beak becomes hard due to the calcium deposits from the prey and claws become blunt due to regular hunt. At this stage they have two options either to die or to renew it’s strength and live longer.

The process of renewing strength is very hard and painful process. The eagle flies to a very high and deserted place where it pulls out it’s feathers one by one undergoing severe pain then hit it’s beak on the rocks and scratch the claws on the rocks and break them off. The bird bleeds badly and undergoes severe pain. But once all is gone new feathers, new beak and claws will grow up and be like a new eagle thoroughly in all way. It is estimated to take 150 days for this transformation. But once they pass this transformation they can live another 20-30 years longer. Thus they renew their youth.

Likewise when problems keeps bombarding us do not be discouraged. It is to renew our strength like the eagle. We may have to undergo severe pain but it will renew our strength and help us to face the obstacles tomorrow. Therefore don’t be discouraged.

Coming back to the verse “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) what God meant by eagles is another character of eagle. Unlike other birds eagles don’t try to hide in a shelter to protect themselves on seeing a storm. But eagles can fly real high and they fly very high above the clouds of storm and protect themselves from the storm. Thus God is saying when normal people when they become weary and tired when problems hit in life, those who trust God and put there hope in God they will not be be shaken like others but like eagles they face the problem steadily and fly above the problems rather than running away from it and they will be more stronger than others who don’t trust in God. Therefore when problems arrive in life let’s put our trust and hope on God and don’t say “why me?””Why is this happening to me” instead say “Lord Try Me.”

“For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft. The Lord alone led him; no foreign god was with him. He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag, with curds and milk from herd and flock and with fattened lambs and goats, with choice rams of Bashan and the finest kernels of wheat. You drank the foaming blood of the grape.” (‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭9-14‬ NIV)

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (‭Psalm‬ ‭91‬:‭1-16‬ NIV)