THE WAY OF AN EAGLE

“The way of an eagle in the air…” (Proverbs 30:19).

We do not know the identity of the writer of Proverbs 30 except that his name is Agur. The writer uses an ancient literary technique to get the reader’s attention by saying in verse 18, “There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand.” The writer then lists three things and adds a fourth in an attempt to catch our attention. The first thing listed in Proverbs 30:19 is “The way of an eagle in the air.”

Over the years I have written several articles comparing the eagle to the life of the believer (reference at Archives on the blog page and look at June 20, 2008, and January 31, 2009). The Bible uses the eagle as a symbol of how God cares for His children and it also uses the attributes of the eagle to suggest that followers of Jesus can soar in faith and in the Spirit.

So what is fascinating about the way of the eagle and is this something that is meaningful for us? I think so.

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who 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” (NKJV). A powerful promise for those who are willing to press in and tarry in the presence of the Lord.

Eagles have phenomenal eyesight that allows them to see clearly for miles. High in the sky they can spot a tiny rodent on the ground and swoop down to catch it. Their wonderful ability to see clearly allows them to see great distances and detect coming storms; in fact, this ability is one of the attributes that sets the eagle apart from other birds.

I try to be very cautious about how I speak of things that I see coming in light of Scripture. I believe that the sharpest understanding for the future comes to those who are students of God’s Word. The Bible has a lot to say about the future but those insights don’t come to the casual Christian, they come to those who fully trust Him and are diligent to seek His face and study His Word.

Another unusual attribute of the eagle is its tremendous wingspan and the strength of the muscles that make the wings work. The great wingspan allows the eagle to catch the thermal winds and ride them high into the sky with what appears to us to be very little effort. In an instant the high-flying eagle can adjust its wings and dive down on an unsuspecting prey at speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour. The strength of these powerful wings then allows the eagle to suddenly slow down, catch its prey and quickly fly away.

Even though an eagle can see coming storms, it doesn’t seem to be fazed at all. It’s as though it doesn’t view a storm as a threat but rather as an opportunity. As the storm clouds begin to roll in, the eagle begins to fly and it catches one of the updrafts just outside the storm, that allows it to fly up and over the storm.

God has promised that if we are willing to press in and tarry in His presence, to wait expectantly, then we, too, will mount up with wings as an eagle, run and not be weary, walk and not be fatigued (Isaiah 40:31).

Before the eagle can catch an updraft and fly above and beyond the storm, he must learn to fly. Eagles are not born with the fully-developed ability of flight. No, they must be taught to fly; they must learn to use their wings, develop the strength, and get the experience that allows them to catch the fury of the wind and the storm and use it to their advantage.

An eagle that never learns to fly is nothing more than a chicken or a turkey. They all have wings and yet never learn to use them to fly—and so they never do! Chickens and turkeys spend their lives earthbound, pecking around for seeds on the ground.

Eagles are solitary birds that mate for life and don’t hang out in packs. It’s the same with eagle Christians who don’t hang out in big packs—they don’t often go to conventions. Indeed, they are unafraid to be alone because they know they never really are. The promise of His presence is very real to them.

I think it’s time for more eagle Christians to start flying. These will not be the big-talking, flashy types who proudly talk about all they are doing and how much faith they have. Eagle Christians will be among the unlikely champions who are too busy stepping out in faith and doing exploits for God to waste energy with their talk.

We’ve had enough talk about faith! It’s time for those with the wings of eagles to mount up and fly.