Ride The Storm

My father and I have always been fascinated with eagles. The majesty of the bird and its physical capabilities have held me in awe since I was a child. I have often marveled at the span of its wings, the distance its vision covers, and the height to which it can rise. Daddy has a beautiful eagle figurine on his desk and a picture of an eagle in flight on his office wall. I have, more times than one, found myself standing and staring at the rendition of an eagle in the wild. It is, indeed, an awesome creature.
As beautiful as the eagle is, there is an authority in the personality of the bird that lets me know it can withstand the harshest of storms. There is something in its flight that speaks to me of peace and strength. Is it any wonder, then, that the scriptures compare us, the children of God, so frequently to this marvelous bird? Could it be that the eagle's attributes and its lifestyle are such that we are to take a lesson from what we see and adapt them to a human way of life? Can we learn to use the wisdom and knowledge of such a creature as this to develop peace, strength, and authority in our own lives? Let's look a little closer.
The wing span of the eagle is over six feet in total length. Seven layers of feathers make up each wing. This enables the eagle to climb to enormous heights--many times flying above the storm below. There are also times when the eagle stays in the eye of the storm, stretching out its wings to maximum capacity and "riding" the wind effortlessly. With calm assurance, the eagle stays safe in the middle of the wind and the rain--in the midst of all that is whirling around it--it never frets, never doubts, knowing the span of its wings and the strength of the storm itself will keep it in flight. The speed of its flight can be as much as thirty miles per hour.
What about the vision of the eagle? I am told that an eagle can see its prey from a mile away, swooping down in seconds and snatching it from the earth before it has any idea that the eagle is even close. When hunting prey in water, the eagle has the ability to see the fish that are close to the bottom of the water source. It can actually see through the depth of the water, find its prey, and lift it from the water bed.
I am most fascinated by how the eagle heals itself when disease or injury takes place. The eagle will soar to the highest available rocky place--one that has been baked by the sun until the rock itself is hot. It will then spread its wings wide, exposing its body and lay itself as flat as possible on the hot stone. This is where we get the term "spread eagle". The eagle will stay "bellied up" to the rock until the disease is drawn from its body by the heat or until its death.
Do you now see why we are referred to in scripture as the "eagle saints of God."? Why we are told that "...they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. they shall mount up with wings as an eagle. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint..."? The storm will not deter us if our arms are spread wide and we set them, not on the wind, but on the open hand of God that will take us through every heartache and every trial. The hand of God that will never let us fall, never let us falter, but will guide us through every storm and, sometimes, even lifting us above it so that we are not disturbed by the billowing gales around us. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, there shall be no enemy that shall defeat us. Like the eagle, we can swoop down into the ungodly flesh of our lives and remove those things that hinder us the most. Our anger, our disappointments, our painful pasts--all can be removed by an eagle-like vision that is ever watchful over the attempts of the enemy to make us the prey rather than the victor. And, finally, isn't it time we all "bellied up" to the Rock? Isn't it time we gave our worries, our cares, our tears, our disease-ridden bodies the healing heat of the Rock of our salvation? Oh, dear ones, our God waits ever so patiently to hold us close, to cleanse us of not only the disease of our bodies, but the disease of our hearts and spirits as well.
We, like the eagle, can move victoriously through all the storms of this life. We are high flyers, storm dwellers, and overcomers. With our God leading the way, we have naught to fear. Though we face the storms of life, we are MORE than conquerors through Jesusw Christ, our Lord.
I wrote a song many years ago as Daddy was preaching on this very subject. The words came so easily and now, twenty years later, they return to me and validate my own victory in learning to "fly high".

As I look ahead and see the storm clouds gather,
I see the lightning flashing, I hear the thunder roll.
I can never be afraid for I know Jesus has control.
I know He'll set my wings and help me ride the storm.

I'll set my wings upon the hands of Jesus.
As He guides me I can ride the storm and never be afraid.
If the sky becomes too dark, or my flight too rough to go,
I'll trust in Him, set my wings, and ride the storm.

As the eagle sails so high above the clouds,
Going far beyond the greatest heights that others go,
This eagle saint of God will sail beyond the heights of man,
For he'll set my wings, and help me ride the storm.

Whatever storm you are facing today, God can help you. Let Him take you in His great
hands and bring you through your present storm. "Belly up" to the Rock and find strength and healing today. Ride the storm with God--it will be the experience of a lifetime.