The Bible makes reference to the eagle in Psalm 103:1, 5 – “Bless the Lord, O my soul . . . bless His holy name . . . Who satisfies thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles.”

We all need times of renewal and spiritual recharging. I have a friend who used to live near a golf course and would occasionally take me golfing. But he always forgot to plug the golf cart in to recharge it when he was done. Invariably, after driving several miles chasing my miscreant golf balls, the golf cart would run out of power and we would have to walk.

We need times of renewal and recharging. An eagle, at least twice in its life, goes through a renewal process called molting. The eagle goes to a solitary place and loses or pulls out all its feathers. During this time, the eagle looks ugly, exposed, and vulnerable. But soon new feathers grow back – strong and shiny.

In Psalm 103:3 David declares, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” Our renewal and healing begins when we receive God’s forgiveness for our sins. When we are willing to become vulnerable, open, and honest with God, and ourselves renewal begins. “IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9, 10).

I love the mountains and the “big sky” country of the west. David says of those who confess and turn from their sins, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:10-12).

For an eagle to be renewed it must also obtain the proper quality and quantity of food. Vultures survive on “road kill” or other dead animals. Bald eagles prefer fish because it is high in protein. That is why they usually nest near a lake or river. (See Psalm 103.)

Many people are like the vulture or buzzard, they feast on dead and unclean things. Jesus said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

When you feast on God’s word by reading, hearing, meditating, and obeying, your youth will be renewed like the eagles. You can be “transformed daily by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2). Let God satisfy your mouth with good things so that your youth can be renewed like the eagles. Isaiah prophesied, “Even the youths shall faint and be weary. . . But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. . .” (Isaiah 40:3, 31).

When a storm approaches, an eagle will ride the air currents high above the storm. Through praise and prayer we can catch the air currents of God’s presence and mount high above the storms of life. Even Jesus, the Son of God, knew the necessity of taking time out from the demands of life, people, and the ministry to steal away and be alone with the heavenly Father in prayer. Be like the eagle and daily wait upon God in prayer and praise.

We many times lose power and are not renewed in faith because of not waiting on God. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). To wait upon the Lord is to trust Him fully with our lives; it involves looking to Him as our source of help and grace in time of need. Those who wait upon the Lord are promised the strength of God to revive them through exhaustion and weakness. God gives power to rise above our difficulties. God promises that if we will patiently trust Him, He will provide whatever is needed to sustain us.

Looking high into the sky, many have difficulty distinguishing between an immature eagle and a vulture. The silhouettes of both are very similar. The difference is that the eagle has some white underneath and on the tail. Even though the immature eagle is not a majestic looking as the adult, it still is an eagle.

As weak human beings, we often see ourselves as failures. But Jesus doesn’t define us by our immaturity or mistakes. God has purposed from the time of our new birth that we identify ourselves according to the way He feels about us and by what He declares over our lives regarding the righteousness of Christ. So even in our immaturity, He delights in us. His love for us is beyond comprehension.

Many are like the eagle that I observed being harassed and chased by two little sparrows. Believing Satan’s accusations causes distorted images of God and what we look like to Him. With these lies of the enemy hovering over us, the thinking that God doesn’t love us can paralyze us. We lose our motivation to persevere and seek God. We identify ourselves as failures. But if we are sons and daughters of God, He sees us as eagles, His children.

Renew your strength like the eagles. You can find your flight instructions beginning in Psalm 103 and the Gospels of Christ. “For as many as received Him, gave He power to become son’s of God, even as many as believed on His name” (John 1:12).