Want to Fly? Look to the Eagles Nest

August 19, 2026

Opening Prayer

Holy Spirit, breathe on these Scriptures as they are read. Make familiar words fresh, and new words clear. Stir faith, awaken hope, and lead us into the truth that sets us free. Amen.

Scripture

Deuteronomy 32:11

“Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.”

Reflection

I suspect most of know that an eagle doesn’t keep its young in the nest forever. 

For a season, the nest is exactly where the young eagle belongs. It is a place of safety, warmth, and provision. The parent eagle brings food, shields them from harsh weather, and keeps them secure.

Eventually the time comes when the very nest that once felt so comfortable begins to be perhaps a little too comfortable. The time comes when the young eagle has to learn to soar.

I have read that to get the young Eagle to take the next step in development sometimes means that the parent eagle begins to disturb the nest. The soft, comfortable lining is moved aside and what once felt secure suddenly becomes uncomfortable. Now the young eagle may not understand what is happening. 

“Why are you doing this? 

Why can't things just stay the way they were?”

Just as parent eagles push their young from the nest to teach them to fly, God often uses disruptions in our life to prepare us for growth. Let us admit it, we seek comfort in familiar routines, but real comfort and security was never to be found in the nest—it was always to be found in our loving creator.

But we get comfortable. We settle into familiar routines. We know how things work. We know what to expect. We find our little nest—the places, relationships, habits, and routines where we feel secure.

And then something changes.

A door closes. A new opportunity appears. A relationship changes. A season of life comes to an end. Something we depended on is no longer there. The future suddenly looks different than we expected. When life shifts and uncertainty moves in, it’s natural to ask, “God, why is this happening?” But perhaps there’s another question worth asking: “God, what are You teaching me through this?” 

Deuteronomy 32:11 uses the imagery of an eagle to describe God’s relationship with His people: The eagle symbolizes how God actively watches over, nurtures, and empowers His people.

We need to remember that not every disruption or ending means God has abandoned us. Often, I have found that these moments are  an invitation to step beyond what has become familiar and comfortable—and to trust God in a new way, to grow, and to discover that the God who carried us in the comfortable nest is also the God who calls us to spread our wings and soar under his watchful eye. 

Prayer

Lord, when You stir up my comfortable places, help me trust You. Give me courage to step into the new things You are teaching me. Amen.

Application

Today Ask the following:

“Where might God be inviting me to grow beyond my Nest or comfort zone?”

Take one small step in that direction.