Daily Devotional – Sunday, August 23, 2026
As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings.
Deuteronomy 32:11 (NKJV)
The Israelites were familiar with the wilderness. They had walked through its dry places, watched God provide food and water, and learned to move when He led them. Now, as Moses prepared them for life in the Promised Land, he reminded them of the past. He wanted them to remember how God had cared for them when they were vulnerable and had nowhere else to turn. He applied the imagery of an eagle and its young, a picture of protection, movement, and a parent watching closely over its offspring, to describe how God had lovingly cared for His people.
What If the Discomfort Has a Purpose?
There comes a time when the young cannot remain in the same place. The eagle stirs its nest, hovers over its young, spreads its wings, takes them up, and carries them. The nest has to become a place of movement. Yet the eagle stays close. In a similar manner, God had led the Israelites through the wilderness, watched over them, and carried them through a journey they could never have completed by their own strength.
That helps us understand something about God’s care. He does not only care for us by keeping everything around us comfortable. Sometimes He allows us to enter seasons that require greater trust in Him. Israel needed to learn that trust before they entered Canaan. Deuteronomy says God led them through the wilderness to humble and test them, so they would learn what was in their hearts and whether they would obey Him. The wilderness became a crucible for their relationship with God, a time for testing and deepening.
When God Disturbs the Nest
Has something familiar in your life been disturbed recently? A plan has changed, a responsibility has shifted, or you have found yourself facing something you did not expect. You may not understand why God has allowed this change, and you may long for the security you once had. Remember the eagle. The stirring of the nest does not mean the parent has gone away. God can put you in places you’ve never been and still be right there with you. He can take you through those seasons to teach you how to trust in Him more.
Therefore, when your nest feels unsettled, keep close to God. Share with Him what you are going through. Ask Him to guide you in what He wants you to learn and keep following Him when you don’t know what the next step is. Israel did not know everything that awaited them in Canaan, but they learned an important lesson in the wilderness: God could be trusted to lead them. You can learn the same lesson. You may not know where the next step will lead, but you know the God who is guiding you. Trust Him and keep moving with Him.
Prayer
Almighty God, help me trust You when You lead me beyond what is familiar. Teach me to see what You are doing in the hard times. Grant me the faith to follow you. When I can’t see with my eyes what’s in front of me, remind me that You are with me.
