Weekly Devotion October 23, 2023
This
Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission
Bible Study Verse: Ephesians 5:1-2
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and
gave himself for us; a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." ESV
Thoughts: I recently had the opportunity to serve for a week at a summer camp for young men.
This particular week was "sportsmen's camp" and I was brought in to do seminars on archery,
saddle hunting, and to speak during the chapel hour. Something unique about this camp is that it
is hosted at a Pennsylvania deer farm. The campers get to see this farm in action, feed the fawns
with bottles, and fill the feeders for the "big boys" too. It was amazing to see the new growth of
the antlers on these whitetails. This time of year, most of us are looking for new growth.
Action Point: That week I witnessed new growth on the heads of whitetails and in the lives of
young men. We all need to be experiencing new growth in our lives. Ephesians 5:1-21 tells us
that as beloved children of God; we should live our lives to imitate Him. This is a growing
process, a walk you might say, for all believers. These verses tell us how we ought to be walking,
and not walking, in order to imitate God. Verse 2 says we are to walk in love. This is to imitate
Christ's love as He gave Himself for us as a sacrifice, not as the world's love which is described
in verses 3-5. Verses 8-14 instruct us to walk in light and not the darkness of this world. Lastly,
verses 15-21 instruct us to walk in wisdom and not in foolishness or drunkenness. Take the time
today to read Ephesians 5:1-21 and compare and contrast what a walk looks like when it is
imitating God, and what it looks like when it is imitating the world. What does your walk look
like? What new growth are you seeing?
Sportsman’s Tip of the Day: Take your binoculars with you everywhere you go this time of
year. I have a case strapped to the handlebars of my bike and a pair in every vehicle I own. You
never know when you might spot your next target or just have the opportunity to observe a piece
of God's great creation from a little closer perspective. Just make sure you keep your eyes on the
road and pull over BEFORE you start drooling at that big buck.