“Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold.” (Job 39:27,28)
A few weeks ago I heard about an eagle who was sitting on her eggs that was on a live web cam. I went to the web site and now, nearly daily I have checked in on this eagle family for a few minutes. Two cameras have been documenting every moment, day and night, and over 11 million people have watched these eagles in Decorah, Iowa, from the hatching of each little eaglet, to the mother and father who are watching them carefully. You watch it here live.
Today I saw a couple of the eaglets stick their heads out from under their mother’s warmth and she allowed them to do so, but she immediately pulled up sticks from the 1000-pound nest (you read that right) to cover them. And her head never stopped moving as she scoured around her for danger. Even now in the middle of the night she is wide awake.
How can we watch this and ever doubt God’s love for us? Job may have said the eagle builds his nest on high, but we have the amazing priveldge of seeing into this nest, 6 feet by 4 feet in size, and 80 feet high in a tree. God’s love is unconditional. If he gave the eagles the gift of knowing how to care and protect their young, how much He must care for us?
And like these eagles, I believe that even when we think we may be ready to wander a little bit away from our Father’s safety zone and see the world, God knows best, just like this mama eagle. God may allow us “poke our head out” into the world a bit, but then He pulls up a shield to protects us and watches carefully for any dangers.
And here is the irony: sometimes our illness even acts as a shield. We see it as a deterrant to things we want to do, be, and experience; but only God will ever know what could happened to us, however, if we’d wandered farther from His nest than He allows.
Prayer: Father, help me to find peace that when my plans or hopes do not go my way, You are in control. Like this mama and daddy eagle, you are feeding me, caring for me, protecting me, and giving me warmth. I may want more than just to poke my head out and get impatient when You say no. Allow me the gift of resting in your wisdom.
About the Author:
Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for 18 years. She is excited about a new DVD about to be available with tips from her book “Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend.“
You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com
Chronic Illness Pain Daily Devotionals 