I am a nature lover. I feel so much closer to God when I enjoy what he created, especially animals and birds. Birds of prey are my favorite. From the Peregrine falcon that inspired the B2 bomber, flying at speeds of 69 miles per hour chasing prey (and often straight down from the top of a high tower); to the Great Horned Owl who can catch a mouse under a foot of snow in total darkness; to the Osprey, aka fish-hawk, who soars over the ocean, lakes and even rivers worldwide in search of fish, with his unique self-closing nostrils so he doesn’t drown when diving into the water.
The magnificent Bald Eagle, with its six-foot wingspan, is my all-time favorite. The Bible teaches us many lessons about how God’s posture toward us—his children—is like that of an Eagle. We see strong imagery of the eagle displaying God’s strength, power, eyesight, freedom, and even His destruction of evil. His word is so alive and relevant and comes to life when we see the “invisible” God through the creation he has made.
Many of us do not realize that God speaks to us through His creation and that paying attention to the unique ways he speaks to you can deepen your relationship with Him. For me, seeing a bald eagle usually means that God is up to something—about to reveal a great mystery of His kingdom.
Recently, on a return trip from doing some teaching at the prison, Steve and I witnessed the most beautiful site—flying about three feet above our vehicle was a bald eagle. He stayed with us as we passed farm after farm through Amish country in a perfectly fluid motion where you barely noticed any effort moving those enormous wings forward. As we moved in perfect unity, I heard God say, “This is what it means to be perfectly aligned with me.”
Since God declares in Isaiah 55:8, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” it is important that we pay close attention to God’s revelation of his Kingdom to us through all that has been made and aligned with scripture (His words to us).
And that’s the mid-week memo,
Colleen
