Free Fall

Scriptures: "For the Lord’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance. In a desert land He found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; He guarded him as the apple of His eyes, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them can carries them on its pinions. The Lord alone led him;" (Deuteronomy 32:9-12)

Many years ago, I had a chance to go to Six Flag Magic Mountain with my family. We had lots of fun with many roller coaster rides there. Of all those exciting rides, one ride was most impressive to me. It was called Dive Devil, basically a free fall for 15 stories.

Before it started, when we were all in position waiting, the view from the top was spectacular. When it started, I felt like the earth below suddenly opened wide. As the body quickly dropped down, my heart pretty jumped up to my throat, just inches away from popping out of my mouth. It raced so fast that one cannot breathe enough to keep it going.

The whole ride lasted only a few seconds. But it felt like hours. When it finally slowed down, I felt like my body was catching up with my heart and putting it back where it’s supposed to be. To this day, I still remember what it was like after the ride. I’ve never tried that again. I think that shows how much I like it.

In the scriptures today, Moses used the picture of how eagles train their eaglets to show to the Israelites how God has been caring and training them. Eagles prepare nests for their young eaglets by paving the nests with their own feathers. But they would not let the eaglets stay comfortable in the nests too long.

When it’s time for the eaglets to learn to fly, eagles would stir up the nest, pick up the young eaglets and flew to the sky where they would just drop the eaglets. The little eaglets would start their free fall, a scary experience for the eaglets. However, they are not alone because the mother eagle would not be far. She would quickly fly down and catch the falling eaglets and carry them on her wings to bring them to the sky. She would repeat this process many times until the eaglets learn to fly like an eagle. As scary as the free fall was to the eaglets, it was a necessary step for them to learn to fly.

In essence, Moses was telling the Israelites that, as much as God loves us, He also desires that His people mature and grow strong. To do so, He sometimes needs to put them in circumstances and situations that seem harsh and difficult to them so as to build up the relationship He desires with them from which they can find wisdom and strength to build up their character.

That type of circumstances and situations are never pleasant, nor welcomed. Just like the free fall experience I had, they make us feel like we have nothing to hold onto and we are just sinking, sinking, and keep sinking with no end in sight. But, worry not because our loving Lord is not far.

Just like the mother eagle, our Lord has never taken His eyes off us. He’s been watching us, every step of the way. When the times come, He will pick us up on His wings and soar to the sky. He will comfort and encourage us, prepare us for another round of training, until we learn the lesson and grow mature.

Life may be filled with undesirable circumstances and situations, but I am convinced that, if we keep our focus clear and unmoving on our Lord and His love for us, we will see the lesson He has in mind for us and be able to prevail over any challenges and hardship our circumstances may throw at us.

Prayer Requests:
For anyone who is struggling in career, ministries, or personal relationship

Prayer:
Our loving Lord, thank You for the nests You prepared for us and thank You for extending Your wings to carry us in times of troubles and difficulties. Help us to always face our lives with a sense of Your presence and guidance in gratitude. In the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus we pray, Amen!