Bruce Larson recounted the following story of a friend of his who was an avid eagle-watcher.
“Rick took his family to remote places where they would watch this great bird. On his most recent trip, he witnessed a strange incident. He had his binoculars fixed on a large old eagle he had given the name “Boss” because he seemed to be the biggest bird in the valley. Boss was doing lazy rolls, catching the thermals and wheeling effortlessly in the sun. Suddenly, the bird dove straight down, his eyes on a target invisible to Rick. But when the eagle reached the floor of the valley and began to ascend once more, it was obvious that he had gained the prize he was after. A large animal was gripped in his talons. Rick continued to watch, first with fascination, then with growing apprehension. Boss began to fly crazily and erratically, still gripping his prize. Finally, he wheeled abruptly, crashed headlong into a nearby cliff, and plummeted to the valley floor.
“Rick was stunned by this strange turn of events and was determined to find out what had happened. He marked the place where he had last seen Boss fall and then laboriously began to climb down into the valley to see if he could find him. Rick searched over an hour before he came upon the stricken eagle with his dead prey still in his grip. The strange events were immediately explained. Boss’s prize was a badger, one of the meanest and most ferocious animals alive. The scenario was obvious. Boss had gotten his prize, but the badger was no easy victim. He retaliated by gnawing away the eagle’s stomach. Boss’s prize was his undoing.”
Could it be that that worldly thing you most yearn for could be your undoing, as well? There’s a reason God tells Christians to avoid certain things.
Tags: badger, eagle, lust, rewards, sin, surprise
A mother eagle builds a comfortable nest for her young, padding it with feathers from her own breast. But the God-given instinct that builds that secure nest also forces the eaglets out of it before long. Eagles are made to fly, and love will not fail to teach them. Only then will they become what they are meant to be.
So one day the mother eagle will disturb the twigs of the nest, making it an uncomfortable place to stay. Then she will pick up a perplexed eaglet, soar into the sky, and drop it. The little bird will begin to free-fall. Where is Mama now? She is not far away. Quickly she will swoop under and catch the fledgling on one strong wing. She will repeat this exercise until each eaglet is capable of flying on its own.
Perhaps this was what Moses had in mind when he penned, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27).
Tags: deliverance, eagle, parents