Weekly Devotion August 31 2026

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission

Bible Study Verse: Romans 6:23 (NASB)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Thoughts: Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease affecting deer, elk, moose, and other cervids. It is a prion disease, caused not by bacteria or viruses but by misfolded proteins the body cannot destroy.

As prions build up, they damage brain tissue, leaving microscopic holes that give the brain a sponge-like appearance. This damage disrupts coordination, behavior, and the ability to eat and drink. The disease progresses slowly, during which infected animals may appear healthy while damage continues unseen.

CWD is always fatal. There is no cure, vaccine, or natural immunity. Once symptoms such as extreme weight loss, loss of coordination, drooling, and abnormal behavior appear, death is inevitable. Prions persist in soil for years, allowing the disease to spread long after infected animals are gone.

Action Point: Chronic Wasting Disease is frightening not just because it kills deer, but because of how it spreads. It works quietly. An animal can look healthy while the disease is already at work inside. As mentioned above, there’s no cure, no reversal, and once symptoms show, the outcome is certain. Sin works the same way. It can slip in unnoticed, tolerated at first, even rationalized. Over time, it weakens our spiritual strength, dulls discernment, and spreads into areas we never intended. Without repentance, sin will take us out. Scripture doesn’t sugarcoat this reality. The wages of sin is death. But unlike CWD, sin has a cure. God does not leave us wasting away. Through Christ, we have eternal life

Sportsman’s Tip of the Day: If you hunt in a CWD area, always test harvested deer, avoid consuming infected animals, and follow state regulations to help protect the herd and future generations