The Bible is the most interesting and exciting book ever. Whether reading or studying it, you just can’t get bored of it. It gives joy and insight, reveals the truth, infuses light into you and most importantly gives life. It’s a written Book with Spirit-living words.
The Bible informs us about things both seen and unseen. It is a compass to our destination.
One of the things I find fascinating is how the Bible describes some of the creatures of God and sometimes uses them to pass a message across to us humans. One such beautiful creature described by the Bible is the Eagle.
I discovered that the eagle is one loved and honoured creature that is beautifully described in different verses of the scriptures by God and is more like a teacher to us. God uses the eagle to represent, inform and teach us how He is to us… a protector who loves and cares for His own. And more, He enlightens us by using the eagle as a reward for a task.
Going through a popular verse of the scripture stirred inquisitiveness in my heart about the peculiarity of an eagle.
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
This scripture is one of God’s outstanding promises for/to everyone and anyone who waits on Him. It’s a transactional contract between God and His own. As we fulfil our part of the contract by waiting on Him, He fulfils His by not just renewing our strength but giving us wings to soar like the Eagle.
The question is why would God use the eagle to inform us of the benefit we’ll enjoy from Him when we wait on Him?
This is because the eagle symbolises what every child of Yahweh should possess. The eagle is a representation of swiftness, strength, courage, vision, royalty etc. And God was instructive that those who wait on Him shall be blessed with strength, courage, swiftness and a change of status like the eagle.
What does it mean to wait on the LORD?
Waiting on the LORD means patiently hoping on Him, consistently seeking Him and faithfully trusting Him.
And He assures us that as we WAIT on Him, our status will be changed and our attitude will be transformed to be like that of the eagle.
Attitude of the Waiter
Waiting on a person or a thing is never fun because it can keep our emotions awake and sometimes these emotions mess up the mind with anxiety, expectations, and uncertainties.
Now God wants us to wait on Him and trust me, waiting on God is not as easy as the four-letter word ‘wait’ because you will be drilled and trained. But it becomes easy when our focus is not on what we’re waiting for but on whom we’re waiting on.
And when we focus on Him in the waiting room, we eventually see and experience a change of status.
How do we wait on Him rather than putting our focus on what we’re waiting for?
As a child of God, there must always come a season as we grow in Christ Jesus where we will have to be promoted to the waiting class. And until we pass the exam, we will never be promoted to the next class called the ‘eagle class.’ What we do in the waiting class determines how long we will be in that class, and if we will complete the class.
How can we succeed?
Following and serving God comes with abiding by His principles. One such is that to enjoy the reward of an eagle, we must wait on Him. And if we must excel in our wait season, we must;
- Keep in mind that the wait is on God.
- Never entertain distractions.
- Enjoy the waiting process.
- Constantly engage our eyes and mind on/with His Word.
- Keep our eyes on the goal.
- Always praise and pray in our waiting class.
- Be observant and learn the lessons of that season.
- Be attentive and sensitive, and never forget to keep yourself busy journaling your waiting journey.
The Eagle Reward
Strength: Have you thought about why God says that those who wait on Him shall get renewed strength like the eagle? Well, the eagle can lift an animal that is up to half its body weight.
We become so powerful and full of great strength like the eagle when we wait on God. Our force both spiritually and mentally is increased enough to be able to withstand and dismantle the wiles of the enemy. What a beautiful strength and power that will be bestowed by Yahweh in us.
Swiftness: Have you watched wildlife documentaries? You will be speechless, excited and lost in the atmosphere of God’s grandeur as you watch how He displays His awesome magnificent wisdom in the eagle. The speed of an eagle when hastening for his prey is mind-blowing and eyes glueing.
That is how God will keep us ahead and empower us to overtake the enemy of our souls. We will be empowered to act fast and take his plans or net out of the way.
Vision: Amongst all birds of the air, the eagle stands out and the eagle’s vision is 20/5 which is about four times higher the 20/20 vision of man. They don’t have a blurred vision. They can spot their prey or anything from a far distance. Their vision power is exceptionally sharp.
The Bible says where there is no vision the people perish. But for those who wait on the LORD, they will be rewarded with vision. Their spiritual and physical vision can never be blurred. They cannot be prey because they have their eyes opened to see what natural men cannot see.
Wings to Soar: One of the beautiful characteristics of the eagle is the ability to fly and fly high. As it soars nothing can slow it or resist it. It soars in the storms and glides from the wind’s pressure.
As we wait on the LORD, He rewards us with wings to soar. We fly against and above any pressure, resistance, and challenges. Absolutely nothing can stand in our way to resist, push or pull us. How amazing!
Fearless: The eagle knows no fear but courage and bravery even in the face of storms.
Our minds get infused with courage and bravery as we wait on God. We know no fear because all we see and know is our Able God who creates a path in the pathless air for us to soar.
The next time you are discouraged or distracted from waiting on the LORD, remember that it’s the devil manipulating your mind to deprive you of your eagle’s reward to prey on you.
