Weekly Devotion February 9 2026

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission

Bible Study Verse: Jeremiah 11:4 The terms I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.' I said, 'Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. (NIV)

Thoughts: The trails that I am currently hunting are all well known to me right now. I'm hunting private land that I've been on for years. When I arrive in the morning to go back to any of my tree stands, I simply start hiking the trails without any worries, because I have the trails memorized. It can be pitch black, but no flashlight is needed. However, a few years ago, I was leasing some property with a couple of friends. This property was unfamiliar and was an incredibly thick cedar swamp. The trails that led us to our blinds were mucky, brushy, and zigzagged all over. The only way I could find my way back to the stands was if I placed glow-in-the-dark tacks up on the trees where my trail was. As I entered into the woods on those dark mornings, I would pull out my flashlight and shine it down the trail a bit. Without fail, the trail became apparent because the tacks lit up showing me the way. I trusted those tacks every time because I knew they would lead me where I wanted to go.

Action Point: I don't know about you, but I didn't get a manual for how to handle all of life's situations. When I am struggling for the next direction in my life, I go right to my trusted source - God's word. I know God has a great plan for my life. I also believe that God can help to reveal this as His Holy Spirit speaks to me while I read the Bible. It may take some time, but each time I read scripture, it is like looking up and spotting another tack on the tree to move me forward. Little by little, God will get me where I need to be. I don't need to see the whole trail, just the next tack. Stay in God's word and let Him guide you day by day.

Sportsmen's Tip of the Day: If you are tracking a downed animal in the dark, make sure to mark the blood trail as you are going along, so you can find your way back easily. Toilet paper or orange tape works well. Don't forget to pick it up on your way out.