Crows and Ravens

“They will soar on wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31)

They are both awesome and frightening at the same time.  They intrigue us and intimidate us alike.  And if you ever look at one square in the face, you will want to quickly retreat before he moves too close to you.  I’m talking about eagles.  They are some of the largest birds in the world.  Some have a wingspan of six to eight feet and weigh up to fifteen pounds.

But did you know that eagles can teach us a very important lesson about our spiritual life?  They can teach us how to handle the crows and ravens that swoop down into our lives, trying to damage us spiritually.  Crows and ravens are about the only birds brave enough (or should I say foolish enough) to attack an eagle.  They land on an eagle and peck at their eyes, stabbing them with their sharp beaks.  They also sit on the back of the eagle’s neck and continually bite them.  But it’s what an eagle does with these pesty nemesis that teaches us a very valuable spiritual lesson.  You see, eagles know exactly what to do when crows and ravens attack.  Rather than use their sharp curved talons to destroy the menacing birds, they choose instead to soar.  Eagles can soar between fifteen to twenty thousand feet straight up into the sky.  Crows can only soar about 7,000 feet, and ravens can only make it into the atmosphere about 5,000 feet.  If either goes any higher, they lose oxygen and consciousness.  So, all an eagle needs to do – is soar.  Soar until their troublemakers fall off them to the ground. 

And that is the important lesson eagles teach us.  Like the nuisance of crows to eagles, we too have people that are a nuisance to us.  They try to intimidate us, spread false gossip about us, and bully us.  As well we have ravens who try to harm us with their evil ways and words.  Ungodly people who want to peck at us until we succumb to their ways.  

So, what do we do about all the crows and ravens in our lives?  We draw closer to Christ in prayer, trust the power of his word, and allow him to take us higher.  To soar our minds and hearts into the domain of his grace and strength that we cannot experience in our flesh.  Listen to the context of Isaiah 40:29 and 31 – “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak……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.” 

This world is full of crows and ravens.  Got any in your life right now?  You know, the ones who attack you, intimidate you, try to defeat you.  We can’t stop them from entering our space, but if we will run to our God who gives us the strength we need, he will increase our power and take us soaring to the heights where crows and ravens cannot fly.  Higher in Christ, where the air is just too righteous for them.  Then all they can do is fall to the ground in defeat.  Daily, we must learn to soar to a place far above the world’s crows and ravens.  A place where in Christ, the atmosphere is at a spiritual level we can only survive in Christ. 

                                                                 Darlene