Weekly Devotion February 12, 2024

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission

Bible Study Verse: Philippians 3:13-14 

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. NIV. Luke 9:62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." NIV. 

Thoughts: The large vain gobbler was strutting and following a small harem of hens in my sight but well out of my shotgun range. He wasn’t paying attention to my calling or my old single-hen decoy. All the hens left the field, and the old tom stopped and turned for one last look in my direction. I gave him one final loud cut on my Twin Hen box caller, and at the same time, a gust of wind moved my decoy ever so slightly. This was all it took. The gobbler covered the 150 yards between him and me quickly. The mature bird made the ride home with me on this late April morning. If the old gobbler hadn’t stopped and looked back, he would have lived a longer life. 

Action Point: Looking back can get you in trouble. If you look back while driving, you aren’t looking at what’s ahead. Jesus uses strong words in His illustration in Luke 9:62. He’s referring to a farmer plowing and looking behind instead of staying focused on what’s ahead. The farmer who often looks back won’t plow straight rows; they will be crooked. There are two points I would like to make about looking back. Number one: if you’ve sinned and truly received forgiveness—put it behind you, nail it to the cross, and don’t dwell on it because the Savior doesn’t. Number two: when facing a temptation, look straight ahead and keep your eyes on Jesus; He will guide you safely away from sin. Whatever you do—don’t look back. You could end up like the gobbler in my story. Also, consider what happened to Lot’s wife in Genesis 19:26, who looked back when instructed not to and became a pillar of salt. 

Sportsman’s Tip of the Day: Hunters should be patient when engaging gobblers accompanied by hens. It’s against his nature to leave a group of hens and come to a hunter’s calling. Fortunately for hunters, a gobbler is a vain bird who wants to increase his harem’s size. Keep his attention with conservative calls and try more aggressive calling if his hens leave his sight. Quite often, he will turn and head that way