Feathers grow back
Failing Forward
Turning Defeat into Dividends
INTRODUCTION
Good morning. We continue on our topic about eagle's anointing. This month's theme is about Feathers growing back.
Every living being experience a process called molting. Molting process is a biology term which means “to lose a covering of skin, hair, feathers, etc., and replace it with new growth in the same place.
Even us human being undergoes this process although we seldom notice it. We lose our hair and our skin on a regular basis.
Our skin is the largest organ on your body, made up of several different components, including water, protein, lipids, and different minerals and chemicals. If you're average, your skin weighs about six pounds. It's job is crucial: to protect you from infections and germs. Throughout your life, your skin will change constantly, for better or worse. In fact, your skin will regenerate itself approximately every 27 days. Proper skin care is essential to maintaining the health and vitality of this protective organ.
The average person loses an average of 50 to 100 hairs from the head every day.You have about 100,000 scalp hairs that follow a predictable cycle of growing (anagen phase), stopping growth (catagen phase) and resting (telogen phase). It is when hairs are in a resting phase that they eventually fall out.
It is different for reptiles and a bird to undergo this process.
For Eagles...
The Eagle is the most majestic bird in the sky, but something happens to all Eagles at least once in their lifetime, they molt. In the life of every Eagle, they will go through a molting process that can bring with it a great depression. This is a wilderness time that all eagles will face. Certain eagles live for about 30 years or more but then they begin to lose their feathers, Their beak and claws begin to alter as well. The experts tell us that during this time, the eagle will walk like a turkey and they has no strength at all to fly. The molting eagle finds himself in the valley, unable to fly, with its feathers falling out. They lose their ability to see, as well, their vision weakens during this time. Calcium builds up on their beaks and they can't hold their heads up. Now this is so traumatic, to the proud majestic birds that Eagles truly are. They lose their desire to eat, they only eat fresh meat and they have no strength to hunt.. But then another phenomenon takes place. When the molting eagle gets in this last state, often times they will begin to peck on each other, occasionally killing another molting eagle, as they gather together in one place. Now listen to this, at this time they will choose some area of a mountain range where the sun can shine directly on them, and they will lie on a rock and bathe in the sun. During this time some have observed other eagles coming and dropping food to the ones going through this "molting" stage. Yet its never the younger eagles that are dropping the food, it is always the older eagles that have survived this experience and know what the "molting" eagle is going through. One writer, with knowledge of these things states...
"It is a most pathetic sight to see. Four or five eagles molting in the valley, where they once would only soar over to look for fresh kill. But, If they don't renew, they will die. "
They grow weaker and weaker. Suddenly there comes a sound from the sky over the valley. Screaming loudly, another group of eagles fly overhead and drop fresh meat over the dying birds. The screaming is encouragement. That's what they reckon; the screaming is encouragement from other Eagles who have already gone through this. Some eat and recover but others roll over and die. Don't you think all of this speaks of something in our Christian lives as well? There is a time in the life of The Christian believer When it looks as though, and it seems as though. They've been stripped down to nothing.
For reptiles...
The most familiar example of moulting in reptiles is when snakes "shed their skin". This is usually achieved by the snake rubbing its head against a hard object, such as a rock (or between two rocks) or piece of wood, causing the already stretched skin to split. At this point, the snake continues to rub its skin on objects, causing the end nearest the head to peel back on itself, until the snake is able to crawl out of its skin, effectively turning the moulted skin inside-out. This is similar to how one might remove a sock from one's foot by grabbing the open end and pulling it over itself. The snake's skin is often left in one piece after the moulting process, including the discarded brille (ocular scale), so that the moult is vital for maintaining the animal's quality of vision. Conversely, the skins of lizards generally fall off in pieces.
But as it said, skin returns and feathers grow back.
Of course we will not only speak of the physicality of this matter but also discuss its spiritual implications
Feathers grow back speaks of bouncing back after a season of defeat, weakness, failures, depression or set back in life. This moment is just a season and not a destination (see Psalm 1:3). It is a brief moment of time where everyone experience at least once in life. Well known biblical heroes were not exempted from such experience and so we ordinary citizens of heaven cannot escape this. I would say that this is a maturity process we all must undergo. This is the “slough of despond that cannot be mended” as Pilgrims Progress author John Bunyan speaks about.
Job 14:1 NIV
"Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.
Troubles are part of life. We are not exempted from pain or troubles but the good news is...
Psalm 34:17, 19 NIV
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. [19] A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;
We all like to watch good movies. Movies show the ups and downs of life. Good movies are movies with plenty of twists and turns. We watch movie heroes struggle but eventually overcome. Happy ending. “And they live happily ever after”.
Our lives are just like that. In this world we will struggle and fight but eventually through God we will overcome.
John 16:33New King James Version (NKJV)
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will[a] have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Bible heroes like Paul, Peter, Elijah, Jacob, and Job were not exempted. Great saints in the Bible suffered the state of depression. This morning we will speak about Elijah.
FEATHERS GROW BACK
A brief review of 1 Kings 18 will show us the heroic act of Elijah to confront King Ahab and challenged the false prophets of Baal to a contest at Mt. Carmel. Likewise, he challenged the people of Israel to put their faith in the one true God. At the end, Elijah convinced the people by God’s mighty miracle of burning the sacrifice. Elijah won a convincing victory and told the people to kill all the false prophets of Baal.
After this great victory, 1 Kings 19 shows us that Elijah undergone a deep depression and how God rescued him.
1 Kings 19:1-5New King James Version (NKJV)
19 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel[a]touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
What went wrong?
v. 2 Elijah heard and listened (believed and accepted) to a bad news
v. 2 He was exhausted. He literally ran for his life.
v. 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. He was alone. He left his useful servant
v. 3 Elijah decided to be away. Beersheba is a far place. About 2 hours drive from Mt Carmel and Jezreel. How many of us want to be away when we are in trouble?
v. 4. He uttered wrong declarations
v. 4 He prayed a wrong prayer
v. 4 He lost his vision and sense of mission
v. 4 He compared himself with others. Facebook is good for reuniting with old friends but one of the many bad sides of Facebook is the spirit of comparison and competition. You have to keep us with the “Joneses and Smiths”
How God rescued Elijah?
v. 5 God rested Elijah
vv. 6-8 God fed Elijah with supernatural food
vv. 9-10 God drawn out Elijah. He allowed Elijah to expressed his heart out
vv. 11-14 God spoke to Elijah and refocused his vision
vv. 15-18 God assured Elijah and provided new companions to help him in his mission
GIVE UP OR GET UP? (John Maxwell)
1. Rise above self-pity
2. Think positively
3. Learn from your experiences
4. Seek alternatives
5. Develop a sense of humor
6. Be realistic
7. Establish new goals
8. Develop a passion
9. Broaden your base of support
10. Separate your self-worth from your performance
CONCLUSION:
Proverbs 24:16New International Version (NIV)
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,...
Every person experiences both good and bad days. Even God’s greatest saints become depressed and discouraged. Elijah had his share of bad days and so are we. But good and bad days do not last forever. We are therefore; encourage to continue no matter what happens to us. What is important is not what happens TO us but what happens IN us. Proverbs 24:16 says “for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again...We rise again!!! And that’s what matters!!! God bless. GGN
