Weekly Devotion December 23, 2024
This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with
permission
Bible Study Verse: Luke 3:4-6
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the
prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for
the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley
shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall
become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all
people will see God’s salvation.’”[a] (NIV©)
Thoughts: In 2015 and 2016 I was
blessed with archery elk tags in my home state of Arizona. Having
decided on an area to hunt, I spent a great deal of time in the area becoming
familiar with the lay of the land and the patterns the elk followed. During
the pre-season scouting I located every stock water tank in the rather large
area and marked their locations on my GPS. When the hunt arrived,
the GPS enabled me to walk a straight line to the particular tank where I
wanted to hunt rather than zig zagging through the woods in the
dark. The time spent scouting the area and the use of the GPS paid
off with two bull elk in my freezer!
Action
Point: Jesus
quoted today’s passage from Isaiah 40:3-5 that predicted the ministry of John
the Baptist wherein John would prepare the way for the coming of the
Messiah. In John and Jesus’ day when a King was going to a foreign
land, the roads would be prepared and improved in advance to make the journey
easier. Similarly, if we read the Bible and follow Jesus’ teachings,
our spiritual ways will be “made straight” and our lives as believers will be
made smooth. Will there be rough spots in our
road? Absolutely, Jesus told us that. But the Holy Spirit
will be with us every step of the way and will guide us in the paths we should
walk. The most important road Jesus smoothed for us is the road to
fellowship with the Father. That road was “improved” by Jesus’ death
and resurrection. Faith in Jesus will assure us that we are on the
right road to God!
Sportsmen’s
Tip of the Day: Handheld
GPS units and the GPS systems on cell phones are really good tools for when we
are moving through a hunt area. But, remember, they are machines
that can malfunction. Learn good woodsman ship skills Know how to use
a compass and map, and always be aware of your surroundings so you can find
your way back to your vehicle or camp.