Men of the Outdoors

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Genesis 1:25 NIV “God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw it was good.”  Thoughts: Recently, my wife, and I, and some friends had the opportunity to see hundreds of manatees in a spring area in central Florida. Manatees are very large mammals. They are not the most attractive thing, at all. They have zero predators. They are often called sea cows. Every year this interesting creature travels from the depths of the ocean to a place inland where they can find warmer water temperatures and food in order to survive. They need a water temperature of more than 68 degrees. They can live up to 50-60 years of age. One manatee in Africa has migrated over 2000 miles. I find that amazing!  Action Point: It’s interesting how God created these unique mammals wi...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, ven when he is old he will not depart from it. NASB1995  Thoughts: I remember taking my oldest son on his first turkey hunt when he was 11 years old. I had never been turkey hunting, but that did not stop us. The local Pheasants Forever Club has a turkey youth hunt every year. So, I signed him up for it, and we went for a 2-day hunt with an experienced turkey hunter. We heard some turkey and had a good conversation with them. None came in sight for us, till the last hour of the last day of the hunt. Our guide called a Tom into a good range and while the turkey was walking across the field, my son took his shot. He missed and the turkey was gone before he could get reset. He was disappointed that he missed, but he was hooked. He was already excited to be back the following year to try again.  Action Point: We, as godly dads, n...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Hebrews 3:12-14 12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. (NIV©)  Thoughts: I love seeing young hunters proudly displaying their kills. The smiles are the same no matter the size of the antlers or age of the animal. Wise hunters congratulate the kids and encourage them to continue pursuing the sport. But, all too often, when an older hunter harvests a young animal, much of the hunting world wants to come down on him for killing a non-trophy animal (By the way, can someone explain to me what a “nontrophy” animal is?). Here’s the deal, if it is a legal and ethical kill, I have no rig...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. (NASB1995)  Thoughts: Last month I had a half day off on a Saturday. No commitments, no to do list, and no work. So naturally I loaded up my kayak, pole, and tackle and hit the lake. Kayak fishing for Crappie is one of my favorite things to do on the water. I’ve always been a fan of using the simplest equipment to get out on the water. The peace of not having a motor, fish finder, or any other electronics when on the water is second to none. On top of that, the rush of hooking up to a smaller fish that can put up a fight is a total blast. This time I got skunked. Not even a bite. So, I paddled around and explored the lake shore for anything unusual. I happened to find a large piece of driftwood that I thought was unique, so I brought it home and showed my wife. She loved it so much that s...