Sixth Day Outdoor Ministry

I Timothy 6:17-19
“17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

Some hunters think that you could label turkey hunting an “easy street,” but that’s just not the case! I am thankful that God opened the door to hunting Pennsylvania for the first time ever this spring season. I was excited to get into camp the night before opening day. Before getting packed up and making my way to PA, I woke up and spent some time with the Lord, along with getting some office work done before having a few days off.

That particular morning, I was in Proverbs 3. I have read this chapter many times, and God has used it many times in my life. “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.” (Proverbs 3:27-28) There have been different seasons where God used these verses to direct me toward helping someone, but I must say it has been a while. I knew God was prompting me to be ready to help someone if needed, and in my heart, I committed to the Lord that I would do whatever He would lead me to do.

As I packed the truck and hit the road, it was getting late in the afternoon. I had a little over 2 hours of driving, and I had previous plans to make a stop along the way. It was at this stop that the Holy Spirit made it abundantly clear why He had given me Proverbs 3 earlier that morning. Without delay, I obeyed God and tried to be a blessing where God was leading me.

I was planning to hunt with a newer hunter who had never killed a turkey. He is also in the ministry, and I was praying that God would give us a great time and a successful hunt. We had plans to meet up that evening and do a little shooting, but that was cancelled due to some things on his end. Though my trip was delayed an extra hour and a half, I still made it to the hunting property to hear a few gobblers sound off before going to bed. It was almost like they were saying their evening prayers and didn’t care who heard them.

The loggers had just finished logging the entire property a few days before the season started. This caused most every bird to roost just off the property. As the sun came up the next morning, we set up as close as we could to the birds I had heard the night before. After hitting the ground, they were good and responsive, but too far to get excited. Within the first hour, we heard the aftermath of a hunter squeezing his trigger.

As the morning went on, we moved to another area of the property. The evangelist I was hunting with had to leave by 8 a.m. As I watched him walk across the field back to his house, he stopped and started pointing over the hill. It seemed like he was hearing something, so I headed in his direction. As I got closer, there was a group of birds gobbling quite well. He went to the house, and I set up just off the ridge. They answered my first call, but then never gobbled again. You can only hunt until 12 p.m. on the first couple weeks of the PA turkey season. I heard one other bird around 1130 and walked out right at quitting time.

As Monday morning rolled around, I tried to give myself enough time to read and pray before heading up the hill. The evangelist that I was hunting with texted me at 4:40 a.m. and said he did not feel well and was going back to bed. As I read that morning, I found myself in the main context of I Timothy 6:17. This verse says that the rich people of this world are not to trust in riches that perish but in the living God. The verse ends with this: “…who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.”

If that doesn’t encourage you in the morning, I don’t know what will. The living God has so much for us. He will not only take care of all of our needs, but He will also give us great things to enjoy. As I finished my reading and headed up the hill, there was an anticipation that the morning might turn out to be successful.

It was a bit cloudy that morning, and as it became legal shooting time, I had yet to hear the first gobble. They finally decided to start waking up, as it got a little lighter. I had at least two birds across the ridge on a neighboring property. They were the first birds I could hear as morning became brighter. I have seen birds fly off the roost and come gliding in from other ridges before, but that hasn’t happened for me too often. I thought it was worth getting down off my ridge and at least closing the gap to see what they would do when they flew down or even after.

I was having trouble finding a road that would take me down the hill. I knew if I went to the very end of the ridge, I could find a connecting road that would take me lower, but I was hoping to find a closer road that would help me drop off quicker. I was still fairly new to the property, and the new dozer roads were all new to me. The tree tops were thick, and all I could find were roads that paralleled the top of the ridge. I finally decided I would just walk the road out to the end of the ridge and get on a road I was familiar with from Saturday. As I neared the end, not one, not two, but three birds began to sound off.

I could tell all three of the birds were not far off the property. These were definitely birds that could be killed right off the roost because they didn’t have far to come to cross the property line. All the treetops made great cover, and I quietly sat down as they began to stretch their morning vocal cords!

One bird was close, and another was just down over the ridge a short distance. I sat down at the Y of two roads with hopes they would come to the right side of the treetops for an easy shot. I am left-handed, and that was the most comfortable position for me. If they swing to my left, I will need to shoot right-handed, which will require me to move. They were talking enough that I felt I could make the switch if needed because the tree tops were very thick.

I soft-called once while they were still in the tree, but they did not respond. They continued to gobble, so I sat quietly and waited. It seemed like a morning where they stayed in the trees much longer than other days. The gobbling stayed consistent, and it finally hit at a time when I was trying to determine if they were on the ground yet. I could tell the bird over the hill was making his way up, but the closest bird was still in the tree. I called semi-aggressively for a short moment, and they both responded without hesitation. Finally, the closer bird was on the ground, and I could tell that two of the three were together. I never called again, and sure enough, they started making their way to my right side, where I was hoping they would come.

They never stopped gobbling. I flipped off my safety, shouldered my gun, and stayed as still as possible. Once on the ground, they were both committed to finding their morning ladies. I saw the first bird pop out about 25 yards away. I could have shot him when I first saw him, but I wanted to make sure he was a mature bird and clear of some branches that were partly covering my view. In a short time, he stepped out at 20 yards and went right down! When your heartbeat pounds through your eardrums is hard to understand why everyone doesn’t turkey hunt! Praise the Lord for a great bird on the ground!

Over the years, I have been blessed to take many wild animals, but as I get older in life, I realize the hunts become more special when you realize God is in control of it all. It’s never anything I’ve done to take an animal, but it’s the rich things He gives us to enjoy. Every hunt has a story, but when God gives you a passage of scripture that puts all the puzzle pieces together, it makes it that much better!

As I dwelled on I Timothy 6:17–19 the rest of the morning, God reminded me of the obedience I had toward Him a few days before that. Verse 18, “…ready to distribute…” God is so faithful. Little did I realize that when God led me to help someone a few days before, He was giving me a story—a testimony to write about His faithfulness!

There have been times in my life when the world’s riches have gotten the best of me. It caused me to be high-minded and proud. In the past few years, I have not killed as many animals as I did when I was a little younger. God has helped me realize that there is not one material thing I will take with me when I die. If that is the case, then why do we look so much to material riches for happiness?

Happiness is not found in the riches of the world; it is found in obedience to God.
Do the riches of this world have you? Has it caused you to trust in things that will one day perish? Has it caused you to be high-minded? This very chapter of the Bible shows us that the riches of the world will cause great sorrow in our lives if we don’t use them for God’s glory. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (I Timothy 6:10)

If God spoke to you today, are you available? Money is not the root of all evil. It’s the love of money, according to what God says. It doesn’t matter how big or how little your assets are. If you have Jesus Christ, you have all you need. Take a look at everything you have in your possession today and lay it next to the Word of God. How might you answer this question: Are you “rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”?

Remember again verse 17: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;” Are you available for God to use you today? What if God directs your heart to do something for someone today? Will you say yes to the Holy Spirit? Will you say yes, Lord, to whatever you want? Just remember, “…the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” Gobble, gobble!!

Memory Verse

I Timothy 6:17

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”

Romans 12:3

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

We are all created equal in God’s eyes; however, we are all created differently. It’s easy to wonder why some have great hunting success and others can hardly find it. From one sport to the next you even see some excel in one area, but are terrible in another. It’s just the way God made us. It would be scary if we were all the same! Can you imagine everyone around you being just like you? That would be horrifying. Praise God we are all different.

Since we are all different, that means we all have different abilities. Some whitetail hunters kill big deer year after year because they have a great place to hunt and a large deer population. Some expert hunters can go into a public wildlife area and consistently drag out a big buck. On the other hand, you can take another hunter and put him on these two properties and he will return empty-handed every time. Though he may not be good at hunting, this same person can hit the lake and know all about fishing. For some, it takes a long time to learn about the habits of wildlife, but for others they exceed much quicker. Why is that? Again, we are created equal, but different.

Every good thing God does for us the Devil attacks. We see it all the time in the hunting and fishing community. One fisherman out fishes a lot of others and he then begins to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. Even the big buck killer thinks he is better than anyone who hunts for meat or kills 1 ½ year-old deer. This is nonsense! If God has blessed you with great hunting and fishing abilities, Praise the Lord, but remember, we are all created differently which means we all have a different perspective.

There is a great division in our nation. It’s sad how much pride and arrogance are carried over into our hunting and fishing world as well. We need to encourage and help one another in protecting our conservation and stop acting like our method of hunting is the only way there is. If you use a crossbow, good for you! Keep using it. If you enjoy shooting an animal at 500 yards with a high-powered rifle, great! If you like to fish with a bobber, stop worrying about the methods of others. Again, remember God has created us all differently. Stop looking down on others for doing things differently than you or stop getting frustrated at those who have excelled because of their God-given abilities!

In the context of Romans, we see this same division happening in the local church! God has not given the same measure of faith to everyone. Gifts differ from believer to believer, but we are all of the body of Christ. “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:” (Romans 12:4) Paul is making an example of the members of our body. These members would refer to an eye, hand, or foot. These are all functioning parts of the body, but they all operate differently. Though they function for different purposes they all are still of the same body working together.

Paul then begins to use this illustration of members of the body to different gifts of the believer functioning within the church. “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us…” (Romans 12:6) In verses 6-8 Paul mentions some of these gifts as ministering, teaching, and giving. What he is saying is that God gifts some to be teachers and God gifts some to be preachers. He gifts some to be givers as well. Everyone is gifted differently! If God has gifted everyone differently, why is there so much pride in the church when one person can do something better than another? “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)

Some men of God can really preach and some men of God can really teach, but man, when it comes to giving it’s a bit of a struggle. Then some may give it all to God, but they don’t do well at teaching or preaching. These are gifts from God! Where the great problem lies is that when we excel in the gifts that God has given us, we begin to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. We act like other believers can’t be right with God because they don’t preach the way you can or they don’t encourage others the way you do. We are the body of Christ! We all have different abilities and we don’t need pride to have place in our hearts because of our abilities.

Have you recently thought higher of yourself than another believer in your church? Could it be that God didn’t give them the gifts He gave you? Don’t let your gifts destroy you. We have enough division in this world already, we don’t need it in our churches! Sometimes frustration gets the best of us, but that is not an excuse to look down on others.  “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: For charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (I Peter 4:8)

Memory Verse

Romans 12:3

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

John 6:25-29

“25. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26. Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

In previous verses, you will read the story of Jesus feeding thousands of people with five barley loaves and two small fish. After the great miracle, Jesus sends His disciples to the other side of the sea while He went to the mountain to pray. Through the night, the disciples encountered some rough waters, but Jesus calms their spirit as He walks to them at the third watch of the night. Arriving at land the next morning we pick up in verse 26 as the multitudes come looking for this miracle working Man.

Though it would always draw a great crowd, it wasn’t the miracles they were interested in the most. These particular individuals were interested in receiving more food. Notice again how Jesus responds in verse 27, ” Labour not for the meat which perisheth…” Many people began to look at Jesus with a mindset of what can you do for me or what can you give me. It’s important to realize that it’s never about what Jesus Christ can do for us, but what He has already done! His message was to get their focus off of the things that do not last.

There were many people in the New Testament that watched Jesus do many miracles. Sometimes they were even part of the miracle, but still walked away lost because they missed the message Jesus was trying to bring them to. “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:29) This lost multitude wanted the meat that would perish, rather than Jesus Christ, the Everlasting Meat. “But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.” (John 6:36)

In this particular context Jesus is dealing with the lost crowd, but how often is it we began to get caught up in the blessings God has given us then revert back to a lost nature. Every wild animal ever harvested is a gift from God, but what happens many times, is that we see so many blessings in our life we begin to look to God for what he will do for us next. It’s like you kill one deer, but then a week later you’re looking to God with an attitude of, “Are you going to bless me with another?” There are many hunts in the field that can be very spiritual, but don’t let your carnal way of thinking cause you to base your relationship off of whether or not God is going to give you something to your benefit. How about a bigger buck this year Lord? How about killing a few more deer for the freezer? How about a newer vehicle that I don’t really need? When God doesn’t answer your prayer the way you thought He should does this affect your closeness with Him? Do you stop spending time with Him?

The devil drives the believer to think that happiness only comes when God gives us the blessing. Do you realize that one day all these things will perish? So, what are you focused on today? Are you seeking for the meat that perisheth or are you seeking the Everlasting Meat (Jesus Christ)? Does your family know that you are more concerned about the souls of others than the material meat that you will never take with you? A testimony will go a long way when sharing the gospel with others! Life is not about you, it’s about the Everlasting Meat, Jesus Christ. I encourage you today to rest in what Jesus Christ has already done for you and then go share it with someone who needs to be saved!

Memory Verse

John 6:27

“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

“27. He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. 28. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”

As a watercraft officer there were many different circumstances that would be dealt with on a day-to-day basis. It was one very sad day for a young family that was canoeing down a river in a neighboring state. The young mother removed the life jacket of the 17-month-old toddler to tend to his needs when the canoe suddenly flipped over. The local agency requested our assistance, but the operation was nothing more than a recovery rather than a rescue by the time we made it to the scene. Talk about a tough situation. Though many times a boater would ask, “how do you get a job like that?” This was not the day for fun and excitement. There was a very quiet spirit among the deputies, natural resource officers, fire departments, and volunteers as efforts were made to bring closure to the family.

There was one particular volunteer that stood out above most everyone on scene. He seemed a bit obnoxious as I observed him trying to have conversation with all the law enforcement officers on scene. He was loud, outspoken, and trying to tell the natural resource officers about all of his hunting experiences that he has had in the field over the years. He even tried to share some things with me about his hunting experiences, but this was just not the time or place. It was very frustrating when arriving home later that night to find this same guy being interviewed as the evening highlight on the local news channels. How unprofessional, how immature! If you could label anyone a fool, it was definitely this guy. All of our hearts were breaking for the family as the little boy was recovered days later.

Looking back at Proverbs it says, “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise…” Its easy to find a fool, he’s the one that is always talking. Everything is about him. It was obvious that this guy probably sticks out in every crowd regardless of the situation. However, if he could have learned to simply be quiet on that day, no one would have noticed his immature and unprofessional actions.

How is your language? Are you good at being quiet? Ecclesiastes 3:1,7 says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;” Do you seek God for wisdom on a day to day basis? There are so many situations that we believers deal with in life that cause us to look like fools. How often is it you say something mean to your wife because your frustrated about something else, or your hard on your kids for something they did when in reality your disobeying God worse than they are disobeying you. Maybe at work your backbiting toward someone you don’t like or your spirit could be a little better when dealing with an employee. Lord, help us control our tongue! “…and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” You will be amazed at what you will learn in life when you learn to hold your tongue and just listen. Are you living in the Word of God today? When we read through Proverbs God continually tells us to keep our mouths closed in many situations. What are people seeing in your life today as a believer? Do you have knowledge? When you dont have knowledge you are counted a fool! Learn to be quiet and only speak when the time is right! “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”

Memory Verse

Proverbs 17:27-28

“He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”

“1. JUDGE not, that ye be not judged. 2. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

The word mote is defined as a small particle; or even a splinter. The word beam is something much larger; any large piece of timber, long in proportion to its thickness, and squared, or hewed for use. You can look at this context with two different perspectives. One might be a hard minded Pharisee that is quick to point a finger at every wrong thing another person does, but it could even be viewed as one that simply has a desire to help others but can’t find victory over faults in their own life. It’s always easy to see the small faults in the life of a friend, spouse, or child, but what we fail to admit sometimes is that the problem in our own life is much bigger.

The Lord has placed a heavy burden on my heart to connect with hunters and fisherman with gospel of Jesus Christ and help them get established in the local New Testament Church. Hunting and fishing has become a god to many people around the world. The Bible says these sportsmen will die and go to hell without Jesus Christ. The hunting industry has driven sportsmen to dream about killing a big one, 365 days a year. Whether season is open or not, its all about growing the right food plot, trail camera’s, and having more land or more leases. Not only does this keep people from coming to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, but it also hinders many believers in their walk with God. “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” (Genesis9:2-3) As Noah steps off the ark, God makes the animals wild and then says, “…shall be meat for you…” One thing that is very certain in the Bible is that hunting and fishing is not sinful, but just as Satan always does, he tries to get man to worship the things God blesses us with, rather than worship our Creator.

As an avid outdoorsman, I have had seasons of my life when I was backslidden on God and the only thing that mattered was how many rabbits I was going to shoot, how many deer tags I could fill, and how many places I could turkey hunt. I don’t obsess the way I use too, at least I try not to! Over the last 10 years I have had to learn how to balance my life a little differently. Less focus on hunting and more on serving God. I must say that with the right balance God has still blessed tremendously. Many successes and many lifelong memories with friends and family.

I have a great desire to see sportsmen have the proper balance in their life, but how could I possibly help others, if I can’t have the right balance myself. This recent season I have found myself thinking about deer season way more than I should. I have realized that some days I have obsessed more with getting to the stand, than to stop and share the gospel with a lost hunter. Some days it’s like there is one foot in and one foot out. You pass out a tract on your way by, but you surely won’t stop and talk because your agenda is much more important. I am guilty that there are seasons in my life like this. How do you have victory over these struggles when in past years God has blessed so abundantly with success?

The extended two-day gun weekend in Ohio just ended. I had every intention to hunt the full day on Saturday, but there has been a battle raging within. As much as I desired to be in the woods that day, I knew it was best to take a break. Wait, but it’s the last day to use your rifle for another year. That doesn’t matter! What matters is keeping Jesus Christ at the center of your life! Rather than go hunting I spent a good part of the day driving back roads and hitting public areas in search for hunters that needed the gospel. What a great day it was! There were not a lot of hunters out, but there were plenty enough to share the gospel with at almost every stop. Two young men even called upon the Lord to be saved that day!

How can a preacher get up and preach on self-control if he gorges himself at the dinner table every day? How could he possibly preach on loving your wife like you love yourself when all he does is boss around his wife all day? How can a fellow believer invite his friend to come to church when he won’t even show up on Sunday night? “And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39) We are all good at casting judgement, but we first must examine our own life. God truly wants us to help others, but we must first make sure the beam is not in our own eye! Are lost souls a top priority in your prayer life? Have you shared gospel with anyone lately? Could it be that, “…first cast out the beam out of thine own eye…”? We all need to stop and let God examine our hearts. What is distracting us from being used of the LORD in a mightier way? What is it that we may need to take a break from? There may not be one person in your life that knows of the inner battle going on, but you know, and God knows! I would encourage you to find a quiet place, be honest with yourself, and ask God to help you!

Memory Verse

Matthew 7:5

“Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

“1. LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. 2. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. 3. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 4. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. 5. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. 6. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. 7. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.”

Around the end of October, I had the opportunity to slip into a new property that I had never deer hunted before. The neighbor had standing corn on the backside of this property with a highway of deer activity coming into the woods. The wind was out of the southwest that night and my son and I slipped across the backside of the woods with hopes to set up on a hot trail coming from the corn field. We found a good thicket that would break us up a little and brushed in for the night! It was a slow night until the last 15 minutes of shooting light. I began to hear the corn stalks moving when I quietly said to Ryan, “that’s a deer”. We heard him for a few minutes before I heard Ryan say, “there he is”. I was hoping Ryan would get a shot, but he was on the edge of his comfortable shooting distance and circling down wind of where we were sitting. We had about 10 minutes of shooting light left, but it took a minute to determine if he was one I would want to shoot. I had a 30-yard clearing I had been observing most of the night and he was about to step into it! He appeared to be a mature body with a nice set of antlers on his head. It happened so quick, but before he got to my opening I decided he was one worth shooting.

I drew my bow just before he stepped into the clearing and sure enough he stopped right in my opening. I typically make better decisions, but this time I did not process the fact that he was quartering to me a little and I need to set my pin behind his front shoulder. The red lighted nock was very bright as the arrow hit very close to where I set my pin! He took a step or two and jumped the fence right back onto the neighboring property. He ran out 50 to 60 yards and I thought he started to wobble. I could tell I had very little penetration and Ryan later said the deer just stopped and looked at the arrow. The deer then ran further away jumping another fence and crossing a cut bean field.

Talk about the pit in your stomach. These are the stories you never like to talk about! Failure! We got permission from the neighbor to track the deer and then joined up with my wife and daughter as deer tracking is a fun family night (except this one). We found very little blood, but Taylor became very excited when she saw a red dot laying on the edge of the corn field. After picking up the nock she became more excited when she found the arrow a few more yards ahead. The deer ended up crossing onto the next neighbor which is a property I have permission to hunt. At this point, the deer has gone 300-400 yards and there was very little penetration. With not much hope, I returned the next morning and found a few more drops of blood, but no filled buck tag.

I’ve never liked failure! I’ve never liked dealing with the consequences of bad decisions either. What do you do in these types of situations? “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105) You just have to get up, keep moving forward, and try not to make the same mistake twice. I got home that night very discouraged, but I know God always has something to say regardless of what situation we may be facing. I found myself in Psalm 3 that night. Verse 3 really jumped off the page as I read, “But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” Psalm 3 has a title of, “A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.” David had made some bad decisions in his past. Adultery, murder, and now he is running for his life. God had already forgiven him, but now he is experiencing the consequences for his bad choices. His son Absalom draws a good part of the nation to his leadership over the course of many years. Now he is trying to kill his own father. Though David is discouraged and running, he knew that God was faithful. Under direct inspiration of the Holy Ghost, David pens down this great Psalm! “…O LORD…my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” Absalom dies on the battlefield and David is restored back to be the King. God was faithful in David’s life, but He will also be faithful in your life!

What is weighing on you today? First, go to the Word of God! Many believers fail in this area. God has a passage of scripture that will help you in your trials, failures, and discouragements, but you must open up the Word and read it. Second, believe what you read! “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” (Proverbs 30:5) God knows you better than you know you. Could it be He is allowing things in your life so you will turn to Him with all your heart? Notice again in Psalm 3:3 “…my glory…” David said his glory was in God, not in himself. God wants to be glorified in your circumstances! Most believers fail because they are searching for their own glory! “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 3:21) “To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (I Peter 5:11) “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24) God loves you today friend! The Lord will lift you up!

Memory Verse

Psalm 3:3-4

“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.”

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

As always, 5:00 am came early. After some time with the Lord, we headed out the door. We had a short trip to the tree stand and were set up well before daylight. It felt like we had been sitting there forever, but in reality, it was only about an hour. All of the sudden my dad whispers, “Ryan, there is a deer out in the field!” I picked up my binoculars and saw a nice buck following a doe in the cut cornfield. We watched for a few minutes, and I thought all hope was lost because they were walking toward the neighboring property. In disappointment I put my binoculars away as the deer kept walking away. My dad then says, “Ryan, we just need to pray and ask the Lord to bring these deer over here.” I responded, “Do you want me to pray out loud?” He replies, “No, pray to yourself and I will pray to myself.” I remember praying, “Lord, you said that if we had the faith as a grain of a mustard seed we could move mountains; these are your animals, please bring them over here.” I am not sure if I had opened my eyes yet when my dad says, “Look they are running over here.” Within seconds, the buck, plus 5 other deer came barreling into the woods. The doe splits off from the buck and the buck runs right in front of us. My dad started yelling at the buck because it was running full blast! It stops at 30 yards, I got the crossbow scope lined up on him and then squeezed the trigger. It was a perfect double lung shot. He ran about 50 yards and started to wobble. I thought he was going to crash right there, but somehow got a second wind and went maybe another 50 or 60 yards. Thats when he went down, and I started to shake really bad!

Later that day we were driving home from the taxidermist when the thought from my early morning devotions crossed my mind. Mark 1:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” In this passage of scripture, Jesus Christ is trying to teach us the importance in prayer. Next to this verse there was a note I had written when my pastor was discipling the young men one day. It said, “source of power.” He was teaching us the way to have power in our Christian lives was to pray. There are two thoughts that come to mind when seeking a powerful prayer.

“…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16) The prayer of the righteous man is about having a life pleasing to God. We know that no one is perfect, but doing our best to please the Lord will help us to have a powerful prayer. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psalm 66:18) This iniquity could be anything; doing something the Bible says you shouldn’t do, not obeying the Lord when He leads you to do something, etc. The word regard means to look towards; to point or be directed. If you know that you have things in your life that shouldn’t be there the Bible says the Lord will not hear your prayers. I encourage you to examine your heart to see if you have unconfessed sin.

I am reminded of the story in Acts 12 when Peter was put in prison by king Herod. It says that in the middle of the night the angel of the Lord delivered him from the prison. If we continue reading, we can see that people were gathered together praying for Peter to be delivered. When Peter knocked on the door a young girl came to see who it was. She recognized Peter’s voice at the door, and then ran back inside to tell everyone that was praying. They all could not believe what she was saying! I believe this is where we are at sometimes in our prayer life. We ask the Lord to answer our prayers, but don’t actually believe He will. The Bible says in Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” If you don’t believe God will do it, why would He? Are you praying with faith today? Do you truly believe God will answer your prayers? I have some great news for you! He’s closer than you think!

By Ryan Barnett

Memory Verse

Mark 1:35

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

“1. AND he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2. Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3. And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5. Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6. And the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge saith. 7. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8. I tell you he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on earth? “

Are you a persistent hunter? Do you go to the woods once or twice, but then stop hunting if you don’t see or hear anything? Consistency is important in many areas of our lives, and for the hunter, it’s the only way to find success year after year. Have you ever shot a deer late season? There are many hunters that quit too soon because they don’t find the success on their timeline. If you are a true hunter, don’t be that guy! There have been years where I have not successfully filled a tag. Though it may become frustrating, it did not lead me to quit. There are many things to learn along the way as a hunter. It’s those unsuccessful years that may lead someone to stop and examine what could be done differently. Today, there are many things I do differently than I did as an 18-year-old. It’s taken time and persistence to learn more about whitetails and understand how to kill the bigger ones. There are still many more years of learning and persistence! Don’t quit!

In this context of Scripture Jesus is setting forth a parable of how we ought to pray! “…that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” Notice how He ends the parable, “…Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on earth?” Faith is always the key element in having our prayers answered, “And all things, whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22) Many times, our prayer life is like that hunter that couldn’t find success. He gets frustrated because his buddy is always killing a nice deer. He can’t understand why things won’t fall his direction, so he quits and has a bitterness toward the hunt for the rest of his life!

We have this mindset in prayer sometimes that we should be able to pray anything down from heaven that crosses our minds. Do you know why that guy can’t kill a deer? He can’t understand food sources, bedding areas, and being quiet while in the woods. He walks all over his hunting ground every day and the wind direction is the last thought that crosses his mind. No wonder he can’t kill anything! No wonder God doesn’t answer our prayers! What does your prayer life revolve around today? Does it concern the things of eternity? Lost souls? More churches? More wisdom? A godly family? Needs vs wants? It’s the dry seasons of life that teach us the right things to pray for.

There are many things to discuss when it concerns prayer, but the focus of this parable is consistency and faith! Jesus Christ is making a comparison to a widow woman who is in need of deliverance. The unjust judge gets wearied with the widow as she continually comes to him, so he avenges her for her consistency. God is not sinful, He is so far above this unjust judge. What makes you think God doesn’t hear you? Has He told you to stop praying about something? Why quit then? In Matthew 7 Jesus makes a comparison of a son that comes to his father asking for a fish to eat. He says what kind of man would give his son a serpent upon that request. No good father would do that! He was saying, do you understand that concept? Do you understand that a good father, who is a sinner, takes good care of his children; then he responds with this in verse 11, “…how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” God hears your prayers today friend! He wants the best for you! You have to come to this conclusion, “I believe the Word of God is true” or “I don’t believe it’s true”. There may be some adjustments needed along the way of prayer, but please don’t quit! Stay persistent! “…that men ought always to pray and not to faint;” (Luke 18:1) “…Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, Shall he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8)

Memory Verse

Luke 18:1

“AND he spake this parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

“13. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

“Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” When we think of Satan, we don’t usually think of him as having a form of holiness but more a leader of murdering, adultery, and an evil government. Recently, there was a man that was very prideful to show me the picture of a nice buck he had taken last season. Along the conversation he mentioned that he actually took it on a Sunday. I asked him if it was a blessing from God or the devil! He was a bit sensitive in his response when he said it was from God. I prayed for God to bless me with a buck and he answered my prayer. He then went to say he does a lot for his church and how he is always there. Excuse, excuse, excuse! “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

When we begin to say this is acceptable, we are deceiving ourselves. When the man mentioned his background of doctrine it was apparent, he is among the teachings that God chose those He wanted to be saved and those He wanted to send to hell. It could be that this man is not saved. So, what happens when we approach the house of God with this type of attitude? This man has now justified to himself that skipping church is ok for pleasure. There are more important and pleasurable things to do on Sunday rather than worship God. “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

Whether this man is saved or not, there are many born again believers that think this is acceptable, but again, “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” II Timothy 3 says that in the last days “perilous times shall come.” This word perilous means dangerous. There are 19 things listed among these perilous times, but the last two are found in verses 4 and 5: “…lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” The New Testament established the first day of the week for believers to come together to worship God in the church house! When we live in direct disobedience to the Word of God, we cannot have a true healthy relationship with our Creator. Stop justifying your sin! “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”(James 4:17)

“Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”(Matthew 23:25-26) The problem with the Pharisees is that they were very religious but very lost. Are you saved today? Maybe you justify so much sin in your life because salvation is not real! Jesus said, “…repent, and believe the gospel.” Maybe you are saved! Is the Word of God your light today? Is it your final authority? Don’t live like a Pharisee!

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word what a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Memory Verse

II Corinthians 11:14

“And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

“1. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: 3. Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 4. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 5. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6.That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7. That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8. And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.“

What are your children learning from you today? What has your attention? What do you give your life to? In this context of scripture, we see the Psalmist giving instructions to train our children up in the way of the law of God. God had done some amazing things for Israel. He led them out of Egypt! He brought them to the Red Sea and did an amazing miracle as Moses lifted his rod. After they passed through on dry ground, God destroyed the entire Egyptian army. He then led them through the wilderness while providing manna from heaven! They had some disobedience along the way, but God was still faithful and still blessed them with a land flowing with milk and honey. From generation to generation, God has blessed Israel with such great abundance. The Psalmist here is giving instruction that we must continue passing down the Word of God and the great blessings God has given to us.

Do your children see you praising God for all the things He has blessed you with? Do they know that you don’t take credit for all your abundance, but it’s only because God blessed? How is your devotional time with your children? Do you pray with them? Do you have a personal time reading and teaching them the Word? Do they know that Jesus Christ and eternity is the most important focus in life?

Our kids in today’s society seem know how to do everything but love the Lord thy God with all their heart. They know how hunt, they know how to fish, they know how to cheer on a sports team, they know its ok to skip Sunday night church for other things, they know how to watch bad movies, and use inappropriate language if their angry about something. They know how to talk bad about the pastor and focus their whole life on winning a game. They know how to disrespect their momma along with many other things, but they don’t know how to serve God according to truth. They don’t know how to have their own devotional and prayer time with the Lord, they don’t know how to love and witness to someone they don’t like, they don’t know how to say, “I’m sorry” when their wrong, they don’t know how to say no to sin, they don’t know how to say, “thank you Lord for your blessings on me”. We wonder why the world is falling apart. Before looking next door, it would be wise for us to examine our own life to see how we can apply Psalm 78. God has been so good to us. He’s done amazing things for our nation! He has blessed us with abundance more than we should ever have, but yet we don’t teach our children how to praise Him. What are your children seeing in your life? If there are some things that you know are wrong right now, start today with some change! It’s always good and obedient to be in the house of God, but it must go further than that! Read the main context again and have a great day!

Memory Verse

Psalm 78:7-8

“That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.”