"The Portrait of An Eagle:
A Picture of Freedom or Complete Surrender?"
By Jeny 'Running Brook' Covill
I have been thinking a lot about eagles lately and how they relate to my relationship with the Father, His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In Native American culture, the eagle is highly valued as an illustration or symbol of courage, strength, respect, responsibility and honor. Often, in our gatherings and places of great seriousness and importance, an eagle feather is displayed to remind us of these greatly regarded moral and ethical characteristics.
In American culture, the eagle is a symbol of great courage, strength and freedom. This portrait of an eagle represents power, authority and independence.
In Scripture there are also many references to eagles in regard to God's character, as well as to His children, those who surrender to His Word, His Will and His presence. As we come to know Him in a personal way, through His Son, Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we in many ways become as eagles.
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isa 40:28-31 (NIV)
Often in my personal prayer time, as I walk our land or sit at the fire, an eagle will fly over my head and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that my prayers are being answered. In this case, the presence of the eagle is a gift from my Father in heaven that causes me to press into His presence, listening to the Holy Spirit. (Job 39:26-27)
" ... like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions. The LORD alone led him; no foreign god was with him." Deuteronomy 32:11-12 (NIV)
As I was pondering all these ways of looking at the eagle, in the context of spirituality, I suddenly realized that there are still many differences, from one person to another, in how we relate to these kinds of analogies, experiences and illustrations.
For instance, do you see the eagle as a symbol of a freedom that is as far removed from the earth and mankind as is possible (Obadiah 1:4), or do you see the eagle as a symbol of a humility that is as close to the Creator and the heavens as is possible. (Exodus 19:4)
A person whose focus is primarily on the things of this world, has a tendency to see the eagle as a picture of freedom. A literal freedom from responsibility, relationships, struggles and consequences, and basically freedom from having to experience every day life in a fallen world. The eagle represents a sort of peace that comes from a complete separation from mankind and life's turmoil. This is how the "flesh-man" sees the eagle, noticing the literal distance of the great bird above himself. (Psalm 6:4-7, Psalm 109:21-27)
A person whose focus is primarily on the things of God, has a tendency to see the eagle as a picture of freedom, as well. However, it is the freedom found in mentally rising above life's challenges with a supernatural measure of perseverance, steadfastness and hope. The eagle represents a sort of peace that comes from complete surrender to God, His Son and His Holy Spirit. This is how the "spirit-man" sees the eagle, noticing the literal closeness of the great bird to the Creator, God. (Deuteronomy 4:7)
How do you see the eagle? How does your brother or sister in Christ see the eagle? We make the mistake of assuming that we all see this great bird in the same manner. Often, without knowing it, we misunderstand each other in very simple ways. (Acts 28:27)
Building relationship with one another, requires that we learn to see the eagle through one another's eyes. Keeping relationship with one another, requires that we respect that vision - whether it is of the "spirit-man" or the "flesh-man". (John 15:12-17) For in each thought, picture and symbol of the eagle as freedom, is an expression of one's heart and concerns, that might not be voiced in any other fashion. In this respect, jointly considering the eagle and all it represents, is ministering a peace, grace and acceptance that leads to true freedom in Christ. (1 Peter 4:8-11)
"Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits -- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalm 103:1-5 (NIV)