Men of the Outdoors

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Luke 15:23   B ring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. (NIV)  Thoughts: It’s always fun hunting with new people and learning how they celebrate their victories in life. Last fall, a relatively new friend of mine went hunting with me in the great state of Wyoming. Back home we’re both deer hunters and we’re involved in a bible study together on Wednesday nights. We talk often and joke around a lot, but he is a devoted Christian and I know this by how he walks and the verses he references during our conversations. He’s even helped me sort some things out recently. But on the trip, he showed me a new tradition that I had to adopt. Upon the harvest of an antelope, he said it’s time to go to town and get a “victory donut.” Considering I am a donut connoisseur; I told him that sounded like a great tradition and something to look forward to after the hunt...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Matthew 5:48 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 1 Peter 1:16 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (ESV)  Thoughts: I was able to take my Lab, Kimber, on her first duck hunt at just 1 year old. I expected her to stay by my side the entire sit. I expected her to keep watch for when we shoot a duck. I expected her to not break at the shot. I expected her to retrieve the duck and bring it back to my hand. She stayed by my side 85% of the time. She kept watch about 70%. She broke at the only shot I had 0%. She retrieved the duck and brought it to my feet 100%. She wasn’t perfect, but she has heart and desire to do right. I didn’t lower my expectations, I corrected the bad actions and I praised the good actions. I thought she was failing during her first duck hunt, but my friend and more experienced dog trainer encouraged me and shared ...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Psalm 19:7,11 “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward...” - (NIV)  Thoughts: Fishing Cabo San Lucas after a hurricane is a lesson in reading, not reacting. The storm churns the shoreline, stirring sand and debris into the water. The bait disappears. The fish don’t vanish—but they do move. When feeding grounds near shore are disrupted, game fish slide into deeper, cleaner water where they can see, hunt, and survive. The mistake inexperienced anglers make is staying where the water used to be good. Veteran captains read the signs. They watch seabirds diving farther offshore. They notice where other charter boats are working—and where they aren’t. They troll multiple lines at staggered depths, probing the water column instead of guessing. They don’t panic when the first pass comes up empty. They adjust, read ...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Psalm 63:1 "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land without water." Thoughts: As outdoorsmen, we tend to accumulate a lot of gear. From season-to-season different gear is needed, and it always seems to be the gear you can't find. Turkey calls, rangefinders, gloves, or some other random piece of gear always seem to be the one thing I can't find when I need it. Of course, the blame is always placed on my wife for moving my stuff; then I find it right where I left it, so I wouldn't lose it. The older I get, the more time it seems that I spend backtracking and wandering all over, attempting to find something that I have lost. And, if you're like me, the more time I spend looking, the more frustrated and determined I become to find it!  Action Point: There are too many times I find mysel...

  This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Deuteronomy 8:6-7 Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land -a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills. (NIV)  Thoughts: The land is flat and the woods are thick in northeast Maine. I was hunting with Tim, a buddy of mine. We stayed near a railroad bed and saw plenty of deer tracks. One day I decided to get off the tracks and go into the woods to see if I could push anything across to Tim. I was about 200 yd into the woods when I lost my sense of the direction I needed to return. I wandered around shouting, but the thick brush absorbed my voice. Finally, I heard a faint voice shouting back, and I headed toward that voice. Whether living in dense woods, a desert wilderness or by mountain streams, we all live in a moral wilderness. The Bi...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Deuteronomy 8:6-7    Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land -a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills. (NIV)  Thoughts: The land is flat and the woods are thick in northeast Maine. I was hunting with Tim, a buddy of mine. We stayed near a railroad bed and saw plenty of deer tracks. One day I decided to get off the tracks and go into the woods to see if I could push anything across to Tim. I was about 200 yd into the woods when I lost my sense of the direction I needed to return. I wandered around shouting, but the thick brush absorbed my voice. Finally, I heard a faint voice shouting back, and I headed toward that voice. Whether living in dense woods, a desert wilderness or by mountain streams, we all live in a moral wilderness. Th...