Who am I like? A Dove or an Eagle?

A sudden serious sickness, an unexpected turn in career, betrayals, tragic death of dear ones. There are many ways people handle such painful realities in life. Job, in the Bible asks us to allow the animals to teach us, or the birds of the air to tell us (Job 12:7) What does a “Dove” and an “Eagle” have to tell us for a crisis situation? 

Like a Dove? (Psalm 55)

This Psalm is a typical lamenting song of King David. Absalom, his son became a furious enemy of David due to various circumstances.  In his attempt to capture the throne, the reigning monarch David had to walk away from his palace barefoot into the wilderness! (2 Samuel 15:30) Not only that there were so many other reasons behind the lamenting situation of David. His companion and his close friend Ahithophel bullied and mocked at him. Thoughts of those long hours of leisure they walked arm in arm to the house of God troubled David to the core. David has a similar mention of Ahithopel in Psalm 41:9. “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, ​he who shared my bread, ​has lifted up his heel against me.” His low mood in Psalm 55 was also due to the voices of the enemies, the stares of the wicked, their plans to bring suffering to him, and the anger and the vengeance spirit surrounding him! We also find David in turn speaking words of revenge against his opponents.

When messengers brought the news about Ahithopel’s conspiracy to kill him, David’s heart was in anguish. Running to a refuge, he felt the terrors of death assail him, fear and trembling surrounding him, horror overwhelming him. Probably in such a situation, he cried, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm” (v.6-7)   Perhaps he did not realize the fact that there was no place in this earth not even the wilderness, where there is “no sorrow.’” 

But the good thing about David was that he concluded his lament in a right note. He said, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22)  David did cast his cares on the Lord. The Lord sustained him and brought him back to his royal throne. His hypocrite friend Ahithophel committed suicide! The son who vehemently rose against David also had a gruesome end!

When adversity hits hard on us, we need not run away from that situation like a “dove.” Some try to escape by attempting suicide (s), which is not the right solution. The Bible exhorts us to cast our cares to the Lord! Jesus said:"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  (Matthew 11:28) It is Jesus who gives rest to our weary souls not any place of escape or hide-out on the earth!

Like an Eagle (Isaiah 40)

The history of Israel in the Bible would tell us how often her people went astray from worshipping Yahweh and the many times they were defeated by enemies in wars! One nearly final blow to these people was when they were subdued by the Babylonians! Every single Israelite soul complained that their ways were hidden from the LORD and their cause was disregarded by their God (Isaiah 40:27). The bonded Israelites during their captivity in Babylon became weak, tired and weary in their body and souls. It was then God responded through his prophet Isaiah to the weary people, “…Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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.”(Isaiah 40:28-31)

There were people who hoped in the Lord during the difficult times of their exile in Babylon. To name a few other than the prophets of the day were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were found to be healthier, better nourished, wise by eating a mere vegetarian food compared to the young men who ate the royal food at the palace of the king of Babylon! They walked through the lions’ den and the fiery furnace unhurt. They became rulers and governors in their captive land! They soared on wings like the eagles in their enemy territory!

An eagle’s strength is renewed only after her painful experience of moulting! In this process, it 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 and renews an old eagle like a young eagle. Sin brings pain in our lives. But nothing is said to be hopeless in this world. Jesus gives hope even in such a situation for there is hope in Him! David confessed his sin (Psalm 51). Daniel's confession of sins for him and his people is found in Daniel 9. God forgave them. So, when we put our hope in him, he is gracious enough to forgive us too and renew our strength like an eagle with a youthful vigour. (Psalm 103: 3-5)

In adverse situations in life, do you flee and hide like a “Dove” or soar like an “Eagle?” The choice is yours!