Thought for the day
The majestic eagle can teach us much about rising above the storms of life and preparing to soar.
Each of the birds God created is special, but to me the eagle is extraordinary. It possesses great beauty as well as tremendous strength and skill. 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.
And 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?
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. What an extra-ordinary 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 by setting our minds and our hearts toward God. 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: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).
We can use adversity for gain. We need to learn from trials—to grow from the experience and be made better (James 1:2-3). Sometimes we should "escape" trials (1 Corinthians 10:13). Sometimes we should "flee" (Matthew 10:23). And at other times, trials are to be confronted and endured (2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 12:7). We must face the things that challenge us and grow in virtue because of them.
God is looking for over comers. And He has a wonderful promise for them. "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:21).
An Eagle's Story
Faith in the Night Seasons by Chuck and Nancy Missler 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 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 explained what had happened. Even so, 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 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.
Helen 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 (Isaiah 40:31). UN
Verses
Romans 10:17
So then, faith must be the consequence of hearing the message, and the message comes through the word which tells of Christ and which was sent by him.
Proverbs 4:20-22
My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Matthew 9:38
"Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Matthew 7:11
If therefore you, who are corrupt, know how to bestow benefits upon your children, how much rather will your Father Who is in heaven give benefits to those who ask Him!
Prayer
Jesus, You have shown us the greatest example of loyalty when Peter denied You at the critical hour prior to Your crucifixion. It is so encouraging to know that Peter was forgiven, reinstated, and entrusted to be a great messenger of the Gospel. Enable us, through following Your example and by the power of Your Spirit, to be forgiving, loyal, and dependable in the midst of difficult circumstances. Help us to do unto others as we would have them do to us.
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