“Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
that flutters over its young,
spreading out its wings, catching them,
bearing them on its pinions,
the Lord alone guided him,
no foreign god was with him.”
(Deuteronomy 32:11-12 NIV)
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses looks back on the forty-year journey he made with the people of Israel. At God’s command, he led the people out of Egypt, through the wilderness, to their new homeland, Canaan. God showed them the way during the day with a pillar of cloud and lit their way at night with a pillar of fire. He gave them His laws on Mount Sinai. He provided them with food and water. He protected the people from their enemies. And He made sure that they eventually reached their destination.
This care reminds Moses of an eagle with a nest full of young. When the eaglets are still small, they are fed and cared for in the nest. But in time they need to learn to fly. The mother bird flies above the nest, and the young imitate her by flapping their wings. Later, they actually have to leave the nest. Because they cannot fly well right away, their mother stays nearby. If they are in danger of falling, she carries them back to the nest on her wings.
Just as a young bird has only one mother who cares for it, Israel has only one God who protects them. There is every reason, then, to remain faithful to Him!
In what ways do you experience God caring for you?