As an artist I love the spiritual metaphors of the Bible. Today I wanted to share a few thoughts on the eagle., how it uses the wind to its advantage. On a trip to Florida some time ago I saw eagles soaring high above the earth. Eagles can have a wing span of up to 7 feet across, they can soar to great heights and it looks effortless as they let the thermal currents carry them.  They have very sharp eyesight and can see from a great height, swooping down on prey within seconds.  They have clear vision and patience to wait for the appropriate moment to strike.

Wind is a powerful element as seen in the destruction of cyclones and hurricanes, yet as a gentle breeze it cools a sultry day.  When we are in a transition of grief, the winds of adversity seem to blow us in all directions, taking us off course.  What if we were to ask the Holy Spirit to let us rise up on eagles’ wings to ride out the storm on the thermals, where we do not fight the wind, but use it to help us move forward?

This will give us the freedom to rise above the material to see spiritual things, give us balance, dignity and grace, attaining a higher truth. The Spirit is the messenger between heaven and earth.  We should be waiting for that moment of Divine truth when the Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual insight and is ready to use us and work through us.

An eagle can also symbolize God’s protection and guardianship.  The Psalmist says, “He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagles! He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly.” When  you feel you have been treated unfairly, God is the righteous judge; this follows through in Revelation where the eagle calls out ‘woe, woe to the people of the earth’, when all people will be judged for what they did with their lives. So even if your were mistreated in this life, God saw and will judge your perpetrator for the part they played too.

An eagle does not fight a snake on the ground. It picks it up and flies up with it, then releases it back to the ground. A snake has no stamina, no power, no balance in the air. It is useless, weak and vulnerable, whereas on the ground it is deadly, wise and powerful.  The eagle teaches us to take our battles to the spirit realm and when you are in the spiritual realm God takes charge. Don’t fight in the physical realm, change grounds like an eagle. You will be assured of a clean victory. So, when we are feeling battle worn with trying to fight against the winds of adversity on the ground, try to use it to soar above the problems asking God to be your Protector and Deliverer.

The metaphor of the eagle teaches us that we can trust in the Lord with patient expectation, that He will fulfil the promises in His Word to strengthen us to rise above life’s difficulties.  God loves us and wants the best for us, so we can relax and be confident that His purposes are right. We need to be fully convinced that He has the power to control all of life and ours as well.  Though our faith may be weak and are struggling, we can accept his provision and care for us.

Worry ends where faith begins.