Sitting in my dentist’s office, I often watch hummingbirds approach the feeder outside. I am totally amazed at how quickly they move and how fast their wings are flapping. Everything about them seems to be in a frenzy. Hummingbirds do not seem to know anything about waiting, resting, or relaxing. Maybe that is why they are not mentioned in the Bible. Everything about their behavior is contrary to God’s instructions for our daily lives.
However, repeatedly Scriptures do mention birds and one airborne creature seems to serve as an example of how we should live – the eagle. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) says, “Those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Upon reading this, I cannot help but wonder what is so special about the way eagles fly. All birds flap their wings to fly, but what do eagles do that is unique? Why do we need to “mount up with wings like eagles”? Why do we not need to “mount up” with wings like hummingbirds?
One gaze at the flight of an eagle as compared to a hummingbird would quickly answer this question. Eagles soar on the wind. In an hour of flight time, an eagle will only flap its wings about two minutes. The rest of the time an eagle is spreading its wings and resting on the power of the wind. A hummingbird, on the other hand, flaps its wings at a rate of 600 to 4800 times per minute. This small bird is exerting so much energy staying in flight it must make its repeated trips to its food source just to stay alive. Everything about this small bird is hard at work, never resting. This little creature is all about struggling for survival, minute by minute.
However, we should not be hummingbirds; we need to behave as eagles. All we need to do is spread our wings and rest on the power of the wind which in the Scripture is a symbol for God the Holy Spirit. Rarely, do we need to flap; all we need is to ride on the power of His wind. This wind will cause us to soar above storms and to rest when all beneath us are flapping with all they have. That is why eagles do not tire easily; they are allowing the wind to be energy which propels them wherever they go.
So the next time you are tempted to flap with all your might and exert all of your energy in trying to stay aloft, remember the eagle. Rest on the power of God’s Spirit in your life and He will take you where He needs you to be.
However, repeatedly Scriptures do mention birds and one airborne creature seems to serve as an example of how we should live – the eagle. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) says, “Those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Upon reading this, I cannot help but wonder what is so special about the way eagles fly. All birds flap their wings to fly, but what do eagles do that is unique? Why do we need to “mount up with wings like eagles”? Why do we not need to “mount up” with wings like hummingbirds?
One gaze at the flight of an eagle as compared to a hummingbird would quickly answer this question. Eagles soar on the wind. In an hour of flight time, an eagle will only flap its wings about two minutes. The rest of the time an eagle is spreading its wings and resting on the power of the wind. A hummingbird, on the other hand, flaps its wings at a rate of 600 to 4800 times per minute. This small bird is exerting so much energy staying in flight it must make its repeated trips to its food source just to stay alive. Everything about this small bird is hard at work, never resting. This little creature is all about struggling for survival, minute by minute.
However, we should not be hummingbirds; we need to behave as eagles. All we need to do is spread our wings and rest on the power of the wind which in the Scripture is a symbol for God the Holy Spirit. Rarely, do we need to flap; all we need is to ride on the power of His wind. This wind will cause us to soar above storms and to rest when all beneath us are flapping with all they have. That is why eagles do not tire easily; they are allowing the wind to be energy which propels them wherever they go.
So the next time you are tempted to flap with all your might and exert all of your energy in trying to stay aloft, remember the eagle. Rest on the power of God’s Spirit in your life and He will take you where He needs you to be.
