Men of the Outdoors

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse : Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.    1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.  Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. NIV  Thoughts; Go ahead and do it—no one will ever know; have you ever whispered this to yourself? Let’s face it; sportsmen face temptations: slip to the pond that no one fishes, cross the property line and go to a gobbling tom, take a shot at a buck just after legal shooting time, or ride an ATV across posted land. The temptations are numerous, and you have probably faced many in the outdoors. How have you handled these temptations? When I have met the lure of similar things, I’ve often wondered if anyone else kn...

September 18 2024 MOTO Breakfast Chat   Our lively chat began with a devotion based on Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.   Devotional Thought: Most guys who hunt turkeys have a number of calls. They have their favorites and some just get stored. The favorites get a lot of use and will show some wear while the stored calls look like new. How  does your Bible look?  Does it show signs of usage, or is it shiny and new looking with no wear?   We all need to get into God’s word every day—read it, study it, and meditate on it throughout the day. It is the daily spiritual food that we need to grow. The Chat: There were a number of different topics that they guys chatted about. Turkey hunting was one of them. Terry Dorschner, who is heavily...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” NIV  Thoughts: Have you ever been on an outdoor quest and you just hit a wall and feel you cannot go any farther. Your legs hurt, your head hurts, your entire body is in pain. But you have to get over the next ridge for that is where your quarry resides. So, you push on, you’re not sure why, but to give up is not an option. You get to your destination and are rewarded with success. How exhilarating it feels. You forget about the pain and hurts and are excited you pushed your way through.  Action Point: As all good athletes will tell you, when you hit that wall, you need to push through it. Their coach encourages them. Your hunting partner encourages you through that physical challenge. Our spiritual life is no different. There are many times when we feel like we’ve hit a wall. We just se...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Acts 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) (NIV©)  Thoughts: Hunters are always discussing the latest sure-fire ways of how to pursue animals, the perfect rifle or shotgun, and the absolute perfect tactics for a successful hunt. News flash, none of the above exist! What the successful hunter does is learn from the past and what has worked for him/her and what has not. The successful hunter depends on his time-tested strategies. What has worked for someone else doesn’t always pertain to your hunt (e.g., terrain, climate, food and water sources). And, what made the other guy successful might have been just dumb luck! By the way, I’ve often stated that I would far rather be lucky than good!  Action Point: Our world today is fixated largely on society’s “latest ideas,” also know...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Acts 13:22 “After removing Saul, He made David their king. He testified concerning him: I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart: he will do everything I want him to do.” NIV  Thoughts: It was early morning in the cold, dark mountains of Wyoming. I was on my horse, trotting along down a secluded trail. I was on a mission. I had a specific place in mind to look for elk. As we walked, a beaver splashed in the water nearby, and the horse jumped 3 feet to his left. This particular horse was afraid of its own shadow in the dark. The thought made me smile. The above verse came to mind as I continued riding and contemplating life.  Action Point: When you look at the life of David in Scripture, you’ll see that he was a man’s man. He was a hunter, warrior, and a respected leader, but he was unfaithful to his wife and had a man killed. Even still, every time he did someth...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse   Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. NIV. Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. NIV.  Thoughts: Have you ever eaten crow? I have, and it doesn’t taste good. Now, for anyone who doesn’t know, I am not talking about eating crow literally. Eating crow is an idiom that means humiliation by being proven wrong after a strong stance or boastful words. I can specifically remember eating crow after the third day of turkey season when I was 18 years old. Before the season opened, I had patterned my shotgun, purc...