Learning from Eagles

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"He [God] spreads his wings over them. Even as an eagle overspreads her young.  She carries them upon her wings—as does the Lord his people [Israel]." - Deuteronomy 32:11 

According to Mike Johnson, one interesting thing about eagles is how they build their nests.

Those who have studied such things tell us that the building of the nest begins with all kinds of prickly and sharp things. Briars, jagged sticks, and other sharp things are laid down first.

The mother eagle then fills this foreboding place with the softest things she can find. Wool, feathers, and fur from her kills change the nest into a place that is not only desirable, but also inviting. Here the babies grow in a very comfortable environment.

At the proper time, the mother reverses the process. She begins to stir up the nest exposing the sharp items with which the nest began. She throws the wool, feathers and fur to the wind, thereby making the nest not so friendly a place to be. After a short period of time, the babies, now mature enough to leave, cannot stand the discomfort of the nest any longer—wanting to be anywhere else.

This is the mother's way of forcing her babies to maturity. She knows that if they do not get out on their own, experiencing life, and learn to feed and care for themselves, they will have no future.

While today's scripture lesson was directed to the young nation of Israel, its message applies to all of God's children. God will stir up our nest (our comfortable places of ease) to motivate us to grow, to mature, to depend on the Lord so that we, too, will renew our strength and mount up with wings like eagles, run and not be weary, and walk and not faint. - See Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV).