FLYING ABOVE THE STORM

You don’t ever have to be afraid of the circumstances of life or the challenging situations you may find yourself in. You can always be at peace, because the Bible says there is no fear in him whose mind is stayed on the Lord (Isa. 26:3).

It’s up to you how you react to the storms of life that come your way. It’s your decision whether you flee in terror or begin to wring your hands and say, “Oh, my Lord! Why is this happening to me?”

We have all been there at one time or another: We all cowered in the face of trouble and wrung our hands wondering, What am I going to do now? But thank God, those days can be gone! No longer do we have to flee in terror from the enemy. We can rise to victory! We can rise to our full potential in the spiritual realm where God wants us to dwell. How? God made Himself plain through His creation.

And the Bible often uses nature to teach practical lessons and illustrate certain truths. We can learn valuable lessons from one of God’s majestic creatures: the eagle. The eagle has certain characteristics that set it apart from all other birds.

Here is an account of a man who personally witnessed the courage of an eagle in a storm. “A thunderbolt of lightning flashed vividly across the dark sky . . . . Dark foreboding clouds rolled across the bay like some giant, sinister wave of evil. . . . Again a flash of lightning streaked the sky, striking the earth with such devastating power that it caused the house to tremble under the impact.”1

The writer went on to say that while he observed this storm, he noticed different flocks of birds as they huddled in terror, trying to find a place of security.

Then he looked way up in the heavens, and soaring against the face of the storm was a magnificent eagle.

This eagle whirled and dived through the flashes of lightning. When the thunder crashed, the eagle would give a flap of his wings and soar on an updraft, even higher into the sky. “. . . I stood in awe of this magnificent creature of the sky, this winged warrior . . . . Here at last was a creature undaunted, unafraid, and unaffected by the sheer ferocity of the elements. Indeed, the bird’s air of tranquility appeared to mock the storm, to dare the elements, as it enjoyed the thrill of riding the turbulent air currents, sailing above them with grace and control.”2 I want you to notice two things as we look at the eagle in this story.

First, the eagle was utterly fearless in the face of destruction. And second, he was able to soar above all the confusion, turmoil, and fierceness of the storm. While every other fowl of the air was scurrying for cover, the eagle confronted the storm and remained at peace. He stared the storm in the face as if to dare it to try to harm him.

An eagle will actually do that. Sometimes even in the most fierce storm, the eagle will fly anyway. He will defy the storm!

During a storm, turkeys scurry for cover on the ground. Sparrows and other birds take refuge in their nests. But consider how the eagle reacts. Even though there is turbulence, the risk of destruction, and the possibility of total devastation, he knows exactly when to rise and fall with the currents of the wind.

The eagle isn’t paralyzed by the fact that he is facing a force that could potentially destroy him. Why? Because he has confidence in knowing what he can do. One of the characteristics the eagle is noted for is his amazing strength and ability in flight.

But look at what the prophet Isaiah wrote concerning you and me.

ISAIAH 40:29–31 (NIV) 29 He [the Lord] gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 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. Notice the last part of Isaiah 40:31. As we soar on wings like eagles, we won’t grow weary, and we won’t be faint. That’s talking about supernatural strength.

If you think about it, it’s normal for you to get tired and weary after doing something for a long period of time. Your natural strength and ability will eventually fail you because they’re limited. They can sustain you for a while, but they can’t give you any lasting momentum. But the power of God that dwells inside of you can!

Your ability to soar doesn’t come from your own strength. It’s not by your might or your power; it’s by His

Spirit (Zech. 4:6).

Your ability to soar above adversity comes from the strength of the Lord. And the Bible says that the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10). That’s why you can face adversity with a smile on your face and a song of praise on your lips instead of a tear in your eye and a whine in your voice!

Begin to draw upon the power of God within you in every situation in life. Make a practice of speaking God’s Word in faith, and trust in the supernatural strength of the Lord that is able to sustain you.

In the storms of life, we can be like the other birds and flee in terror or “flap our wings” with all of our natural strength as we look for a way to escape trouble. Or we can be like the eagle, staring the storm in the face as we use our wings of faith, prayer, and praise to lift us above the clouds into the realm of peace and tranquility.

The devil will try to throw everything he can at you, just as the howling winds toss leaves, paper, and debris in your face in a natural storm. If you learn to develop your wings of faith, instead of being blown away by the storm, you’ll ride on its updrafts and soar above the clouds. Instead of running in terror, you’ll ascend to the heights of victory! (Kenneth Hagin)