“1. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
“Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;” If one was to pick up a Bible and start reading in verse 5, it would be easy to raise the question to who is the Who! Vs 1 makes it abundantly clear who the Who is referring to, it’s “the LORD”. Psalm 103 is an amazing Psalm. It describes how great God is to mankind. It’s all about giving praise and blessing to the One who does so much for us. It tells us He forgives our iniquities, heals our diseases, redeems our lives from destruction, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, we could go on for a while talking about the things God does for us when we surely don’t deserve it! Read all of Psalm 103 today!
As I got to verse 5 this morning, it hit a special place in my heart! I was able to take a nice buck back in 2016 and then a nice doe in 2017. These were the last years of finding success in the whitetail woods, until recently. We are currently in the midst of our Ohio late muzzleloader season. For many years in Ohio, I never had a good shotgun to use so I would most often take my muzzleloader. I’ve always enjoyed using a muzzleloader and have been blessed to take many deer over the years with it. Back around 2014 would have been about the last time I had taken a deer with a muzzleloader, but as we approached this season, my desire to hit the field again was heavy on my mind. I must say that God has been good to me this deer season. I’ve had the privilege to take some deer with a bow, a new 350 legend, and also make some great memories with my son, my dad, and a missionary friend. I don’t ever want to be consumed in the pleasures of this world, and though the desires on my mind were to muzzleloader hunt, I didn’t want to purchase another tag without direction from the Lord.
It’s really amazing how God speaks to us through His Word! God has really used Psalm 86:17 “Shew me a token for good…” to direct me to the woods through recent hunts. I do like to read through the Psalms on a day to day basis, but it was no coincidence that the day before season opened, it crossed my eyes and ears again. I bought a tag and off to the woods I went.
Opening morning was a brutal 14 degrees and winds reaching 15mph through the day. Before season opened up, I had marked a tree that I could use for my climber if the opportunity would arise. The Lord blessed with a nice buck early season while hunting off the ground, but I quickly realized that the tree I had marked was in the middle of a bedding area. It only takes a time or two to bust out all your deer before your hunting becomes much more difficult. After recovering the nice buck, I never stepped foot back into that area at any time of the season.
We did not have a good wind to hunt any other stands that morning and that tree came to mind! With not much time left to hunt in the season, I figured it wouldn’t hurt anything to hunt that tree since I was only after a doe. There was a lot of squirrel movement that morning, but things were slow until about 10am. I never even heard them, but as I glanced over my shoulder, I could see the back half of a deer standing still. They were roughly 80 yards away and it was hard to find a clear shot. I was unable to get a shot on the first one, but the second deer offered a little better shot opportunity. After I squeezed off the trigger, the smoke cleared and the deer ran just a short distance before stopping. Miss! Frustrating! There was a frozen swamp in between us and I couldn’t find any more opportunities after I had reloaded.
At one point, a smaller deer made an effort to cross the frozen swamp but turned back after a few steps on the ice. As they moved off to the north, I thought to myself, you blew it! Little did I know they wanted to be where I was, they just had to get to the end of the swamp before coming my direction. As a nice big doe steps into range, I cocked the hammer and waited for a clear shot. They were less than 50 yards, but with all the saplings I had trouble finding the shot that I was comfortable with! The deer were on edge because of my previous shot, but they had no idea where it came from. This caused them to move very slowly. Finally, a clear opening! The front part of her shoulder was slightly covered, but I had a nice clearing just behind her front shoulder! Bang! I wish the story ended there, but unfortunately it didn’t.
I didn’t hit here where I wanted to, but she ran even closer to me, and it was obvious she was hurt. I slowly reloaded my gun, but before I could get recapped, she got out of my shooting window. One thing that can get a hunter discouraged is making a bad shot and not finding the deer. I haven’t done that in a long time and the thought that this one might get away was a very uneasy feeling. I told my son I would take him hunting that evening and leaving this deer until tomorrow morning was not going to allow time to recover the deer if left overnight. Fortunately, she didn’t go far before laying down. As I waited quietly in my stand, I could see the three other deer that were with her move off to the west, but no sign of her. There were even two more that came through off to my south.
After giving it plenty of time I eased out of the tree quietly and slowly. I had a tree marked where I last saw her, but I wasn’t sure if there were more deer that I didn’t see. I’m in their bedroom so who knows how many deer are around! As I stepped out of the climber, I could see movement from a deer that looked to be bedded, maybe 60 yards away. Once I got my gun capped again, I used my binoculars to try and locate exactly where she was. Though I saw the movement, it took me a minute to find her. I wanted to put myself in position to make another shot, but with the thick cover it was a bit difficult. She had bedded down on the other side of a downed log, and I had a large beech tree in between us which allowed for an opportunity to move a little closer. At one point, I had a clear shot on her head, but didn’t feel comfortable making the shot additional to not being certain it was the same deer. Another step or two and off she went! I thought it was her, but with the thick underbrush I still wasn’t certain because there were so many deer around me that morning.
I eased up to where she stood after the shot and found some blood. It was more than drops, but it wasn’t heavy. Sure enough, the bed had blood, but it was not enough to have a positive outlook. The truth is, she is probably gut shot. She needs a lot of time before a good recovery, but I can’t wait until tomorrow morning. I have to preach out of town all day and an attempted recovery at night may not be enough time. I made a phone call and fought with myself what to do. The best thing in this situation would be to back out and return later, but that is not going to work. I took a few more steps in her direction to see if I could find any more blood, but nothing. I am fighting with myself over every step knowing the best thing to do would be go home, but waiting this deer out is just not probable.
In discouragement, I called upon the Lord! As I talked with the Lord, Psalm 86:17 was still heavy on my heart. “Shew me a token for good…” was all I could say when speaking to the Lord. “This is not how it’s supposed to work, did you really speak to me with that verse?” There are many circumstances like these in life when we begin to doubt God’s Word and how He directs us because it’s not the way we had it settled in our hearts. Remember that its always Satan that wants us to doubt! God has truly used this verse to guide me to the woods two different times and both times they ended with great success. I felt defeated that I may walk out of woods with a wounded deer and no hopes for recovery, but wait, God is faithful!
After ending my prayer, I took a few more steps and caught movement a little to my right. I could see her head and ears over some downed logs running straight away from me! I had permission to shoot the neighboring field, but all that ran through my head was that it was an impossible shot and if she makes it across that field, I have no idea who owns the next wooded area. I cocked the hammer, shouldered my gun, and pulled the crosshairs up to the back of her neck and still can’t believe there wasn’t one branch obstructing my view. She was a good distance, but it was an opening from heaven like I’ve never seen in the deer woods before.
As the hammer dropped, all I could see was white smoke! As the smoke cleared, I was looking hard at the field just knowing she would be long gone. I looked and looked and looked but couldn’t see any more movement. I started her direction but after a few steps I stopped myself and said, you dummy, you’ve been here before, reload your gun! I ran a wet patch, a dry patch, and reloaded while trying to regain composure. You may think it’s weird, but I get really excited shooting does too!! Once reloaded, I took a few more steps in her direction and saw what looked to be a deer laying in the edge of the hardwoods. My binoculars confirmed that it was a big o’l doe not moving a breath. As I walked her direction, I couldn’t help but smile from ear to hear. “Shew me a token for good…” rang out in disbelief with every step that I took! Looking back, it seems there was no way I could have made that shot, truthfully, I couldn’t have made that shot. God has always been faithful! As I made it to the deer, I found an entry hole in the top of the spine and exiting toward the chest! Not everyone gets excited about hunting, but that’s ok! This past week as I was spending time with the Lord, I thanked him for making me a hunter. There is something about 14 degrees, 15mph winds, your heart beating out of your chest, and Psalm 86:17 that never gets old! Thank you, Lord!
Proverbs 25:4 says, “Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.” The last 4-5 years without success has been some days full of trial and purging, not just hunting, but also in serving the Lord. There are many impurities in our lives that God wants to take away so we can be better used of Him. Many times, the vision we have set in our mind is not the actual plans that God has for us! The direction is always serving and soulwinning, but truthfully, we all have dross that needs taken away. Dross is simply the impure metals that needs to be separated from silver so it can be more pure. There is always a dry season, it’s something that we all need in our lives because God wants us to get out of the way and trust in Him. Are you in a dry season? Are you at a crossroads and not sure what to do? Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Remember that the dry season doesn’t last forever. God is always at work and knows exactly where you’re at and exactly what He is doing! Remember Psalm 103:5 “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Memory Verse
Proverbs 25:4
“Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.”
