Study 60

The Eagle's Nest

Have you noticed that the eagle isn’t on a binge of random nest-destruction? Rather, she’s concentrating exclusively on her own nest. When some believers go through difficulties they ask some serious questions: ‘Am I a genuine Christian?’ ‘Can God actually be my Father if he lets this happen to me?’ ‘How can God love me and yet not protect me?’ ‘Do I really belong to his family?’ ‘Has he given up on me?’ But this parent eagle is intent on stirring up her nest alone. Shaking isn’t a proof of God’s indifference. It’s a guarantee that you’re in the family and are getting the family treatment!

So when does the eagle inflict this horrific experience on her young? Surely not when they’re too young, before their wings and feathers are fully formed. But maybe sooner than we’d have expected. My guess is that she stirs up the nest when she instinctively knows that it would be dangerous for them to stay as they are any longer.

This is perplexing

If you were a young egret, maybe you’d be thinking, ‘Well who is this stirring up the nest? Is it a hostile predator with evil intent? When we face problems we often jump to the conclusion that we’re under enemy attack. ‘It must be the devil’ we conclude. But here, the enemy isn’t responsible. It’s the parent who’s making life uncomfortable.

It's nice up here

The young eagles may not share her outlook, since they may quite enjoy the breathtaking view from the nest, high up on the rocks, and also the predictability of the safe arrival of daily food that you don’t have to order on the Internet. Nourishment just turns up, lovingly prepared and sufficient for every need. What could be more cosy and comfortable? Who needs change? Maybe your brother or sister eagles are a bit pushy at times, but that’s a small price to pay for all the comforts and bonuses of being a nest-bound eagle with a guaranteed daily menu and some great scenery.

This delightful and complacent lifestyle can’t continue. The parent discerns that it’s time to shake the nest. She sees hidden hazards long before her young and knows that it’s dangerous for them to stay still any longer. So she hovers over them, stirs up the nest and makes it difficult for them to remain where they are.

‘What’s going on?’ the young egrets are probably wondering. What’s got into Mum? Did she get out of the nest on the wrong side this morning? Not at all. This is no failure on the mother’s part. She knows exactly what she’s doing. Of course the young can easily misinterpret the turn of events. As twigs from the nest disappear over the edge of the cliff and hurtle down the rocks, fear would not seem unreasonable or misplaced.

To Meditate On

God is tender towards his own.

‘As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him’ (Ps. 103:13).

’He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young’ (Is. 40:11).

‘The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing’ (Zeph. 3:17).

Food For Thought

What happens under the shadow of God’s wings?

Ps. 17:8,9; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7

To Consider

In what areas do Christians grow complacent?
(e.g. staying in the same job because it’s convenient, failing to pray for and try new spiritual gifts, no longer telling others about Jesus.)

How might you have grown complacent?

To Pray

Ask God to show you where you might have grown complacent. Then ask him to stir you in these things and give you the courage to fly.

To Be Inspired

‘On her wings – or, as on her wings, that is, gently, and tenderly and safely too, as if she carried them not in her claws for fear of hurting them, but upon her wings.’

John Wesley