Thoughts
When I was a young boy, my father introduced me to offshore fishing. Just about every weekend of the summer months we would make runs to the fishing grounds far from shore in search of snapper, grouper and king mackerel. However, unless the sea was calm, I would usually get seasick upon arrival. Knowing my sickness might end our trip, guilt would overtake me. Nevertheless, with remarkable patience and love, my father would always turn around and take me home–no questions asked.

If you have recently accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it is distinctly possible that you are thinking about the sin in your life before you were born anew. I struggled with guilt; but as I prayed and sought answers in the Bible, I discovered that my condemnation was self-imposed and not of God. I was allowing it to become a hindrance in my growth as a Christian. (WD

Action Point
Christ’s death on the cross freed you and me from the grip of sin–past, present, and future. Release any anxiety or feelings of guilt associated with your past life. Know that you are a forgiven man or woman of God. He loves you–no questions asked.

Thoughts
Safe! Secure! These are important words and concepts. Even though God has designed and equipped infant wild animals with many protective instincts, they are seldom totally safe. Whitetail fawns seem especially vulnerable. The mother’s care for her young often determines their survival. An old doe that has given birth each of the last five years within the fenced grounds of Baptist Mid-Missions in Cleveland, Ohio, is classic proof. She leaps the fence to give birth on the property; and then, for several weeks, is back and forth over the fence multiple times each day to nurse and care for her babies. The casual observer would think the fawn had been abandoned. Not so! That doe understands that her newborns are safer and more secure on that property than they would be outside the fence with her. Not until they are several weeks old and able to flee danger does she lead them out the front gate to life in the wilds of the Cleveland suburbs. That mother deer stays totally focused on the safety and security of her offspring. (JM)

Action Point
God is the only one that can ultimately guarantee our safety and security. In spite of the circumstances, accidents and problems of life, we may rest in His love and promises. Jesus promises that if we believe in Him as Savior and Lord, follow Him, and listen to Him, that we are secure forever. In fact, we are held in God’s eternal hands out of which no one is ever able to pluck us or snatch us. What wonderful safety and ultimate security!

Thoughts
The other day my schedule worked out so that I could take some time early in my day to venture out to nearby ponds that hold largemouth bass. After dismissing all the reasons for not going, I actually forced myself to take the time off. I’m a free-lance journalist for my local newspaper and some state and national magazines. My days are always busy, for which I thank the Lord–no complaints.

It felt so good to back away from the computer screen for about three hours and try out a couple of new fishing rods that I was testing for a magazine article. The summertime temperature wasn’t stifling at 6:00am, and the appearance of the sun was picture worthy as it rose behind a cabin on one of the ponds. And yes, the fish were biting–nothing big–but big on relaxation and renewing of the soul.

Later, as I reflected on Psalm 23, a sentence really jumped out at me:
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.”,
with heavy emphasis on the He makes me. David didn’t just wander out, find a great place to take a nap, and laid down. The Lord made him lie down. What a revelation to me. Those few hours of fishing didn’t mess with my schedule, and certainly revived me. The Lord didn’t knock me down; but he made it quite clear that I could take time for myself and it would not interfere with my schedule. (TB)

Action Point
Don’t get so bogged down in the things of everyday life. Take a break once in awhile. A vacation, a day off, or just a couple of hours can help you see things with much clearer perspective.

Thoughts
The story here is about the contrast between two broken people–one who didn’t know he was broken, and one who did; one who didn’t receive the forgiveness of Jesus, and one who did.

Sometimes we think our sins are not so bad if they’re the sins everyone commits. Special sins–now they’re the bad ones. But to Jesus, they’re all the same; and because of the sacrifice He made on the cross, they’re all equally forgivable. The good news starts with the knowledge that we are sinners, that we are broken. So, knowing that we are broken prepares us to meet Christ, the only remedy for our brokenness. (Steve S.)

Action Point
Call a person a sinner and he will turn you off. He’ll think you’re telling him that you are better than he is. But tell him he is broken just like you are, and he’ll know you care about him. Once a person admits he is broken and that he can’t fix himself, he is in a place where he can receive the good news of undeserved grace and forgiveness in Christ Jesus.

Thoughts
Just about everytime I fish with my open- faced spinning reel, I get some kind of a tangle, especially when the fish really start biting. If I put too much line on, I can almost be assured of a good mess. When the tangle gets too bad, I have to cut off the rat’s nest and rig my line all over again.

I have coined a phrase, “TMS”. “TMS” stands for too much stuff. TMS could also stand for too much sin. Stuff or sin can have the same adverse affect on people. We can get so entangled with things, or just plain ol’ sin, that we become almost unable to go anywhere in our walk with the Lord. (TH)

Action Point
When stuff gets so bad in our lives that we loose the quality or direction in our walk with the Lord, we need to cut it out (like that rat’s nest in the fishing line) and start afresh with God.

Thoughts
My family and I are in the midst of planning an upcoming backpacking trip to Isle Royale, a 45-mile island located out in the beautiful cold waters of Lake Superior. Just to get to the island, we’ll have to travel six hours by boat. Let me tell you, there are a lot of little details to work out in planning the trip–especially considering that we’re taking all four of our kids, ages 12 and under. To prep for the trip, I’m doing a lot of reading–blogs of people who have already been there, books that give detailed descriptions of the trail, maps that will show us the way, internet sites that may fill in any gaps of information that we might need. Reading, reading, reading. What is the point of all this reading? So that we can walk and know how to handle the trails we’ll be taking. Do you know that there is a big difference between reading about a trail and walking it? The blogs, books, maps, and sites are all great, but if all I did was read about the trails on the island, then I believe I would miss the goal–the walking. (DM)

Action Point
In order to understand God’s path, we first need to read His Word daily. This helps develop our knowledge of who He is. It also allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us through his Word. However, reading alone is not the point. God has left us His sacred Word, so that we could walk in our world–our daily paths/trails. His expectation is that we would know enough of the trail to make it through. Trust His Word completely–the one true book that will guide us–then walk in His ways.

Thoughts
From the minute we wake up to the minute we go to sleep, our lives are full of choices: where to go; what kind of mood to be in; what to eat; what to wear? What to wear is an easy one for me–brown pants and tan shirt (uniform policy). Sometimes I am sent to the eastern side of the state to help with the opener of the east river deer season. On that side of the state there are roads every mile on every square section of land. Talk about choices! Every mile I drive I would have a major decision to make about which way to proceed. It is nice to get back home to fewer roads and fewer choices. (RT)

Action Point
When you read this verse it seems like a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t want to choose life and blessings over death and curses? Let me think about it: I’ll take life. Before I became a Christian, I made some bad choices–choices that would have brought death. I thank God for putting people in my life who could help me get on the right track; then the choices became clear to me. I still mess up at times; but when I do, the Holy Spirit lets me know about it, and I can change my choice. Go ahead. Choose life. God will give you many years, and your children will appreciate it.

Thoughts
After talking with a friend who is an avid fly-fisherman and a local guide, I realize how useful it would be to keep a journal. Several years ago we fished the Big Horn River in July. We caught some nice rainbows and browns on Pale Morning Duns and Blue Winged Olive emergers. I don’t recall the size, the river conditions, or other details that might be helpful. Another time, we had a sensational day on the Wiggins Fork catching Cutthroats on dry flies. Again, I don’t remember the important details of that trip. It would be interesting and very helpful to read about the weather conditions, the flow and clarity of the river, the hatch, what flies were used, tippet size, and the fish that were caught.

The Bible contains many examples of God- inspired journals. Your journal could include: a favorite scripture verse, insights into scripture, your thoughts and feelings, prayer requests, and help in monitoring your spiritual goals and progress. In his book, Spiritual Disciplines For the Christian Life, Whitney states, “By slowing us down and prompting us to think more deeply about God, journaling helps us to feel more deeply (and biblically) about God.” (TL)

Action Point
Keep a journal for a few weeks; go back to it later, read it and reflect. You will experience its value.

http://www.sportsmensdevotional.com/

Thoughts
There are two different approaches one can take when preparing for an upcoming hunt. The first is to prepare months in advance, sometimes as far ahead as the end of the previous year’s hunt– apply for the appropriate tag, sight in and practice with your firearm or bow, begin working out to prepare for the grueling pack out or high mountain climb, purchase ammo, clothing, supplies, assure that your knives are sharp and your backpack is stocked. Finally, you can scout your area, get advice from the local game warden, and create a detailed map of where you will be hunting and for how long.

The second approach is to pile into your pickup truck, load your friends in the back and drive the back roads with guns in hand ready to shoot any unsuspecting animal who dares to venture too close to the road. In this process, you may or may not possess the appropriate licenses or tags know the game laws that pertain to the area. This lack preparation is often revealed in a lack of success. (BM)

Action Point
When Nehemiah heard that others were angry about their rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and were threatening to fight against them, he immediately prayed and prepared. Nehemiah showed great faith in God, and in God’s ability and willingness to answer his prayers. Not only did he pray, but he prayed with expectation, as evidenced by his preparation.

How is our prayer life? Do we pray only when the need has arisen and our back is against the wall; or, do we pray every day with the expectation that God is going to answer our prayers? Prayer should not only be petitioning God for the things we want, but rather for our lives to be what God wants–His will, not ours. Remember, as with those two styles of hunting, prayer and preparation lead us to succeed in seeking and finding God’s will for our lives. Conversely, a life with little prayer will seldom heed God’s desired results.

Thoughts
The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and now the light was slowly fading. Without concern, two bucks leaped the fence and started feeding in the alfalfa field. My son, Timothy, stood ever so slowly in his treestand. The bucks were only 20yd away as I watched the “buck fever” setting in. One of the bucks moved into a shooting lane; and just as I had taught him, Timothy drew when he couldn’t see the deer’s head. The whole scenario was a like a TV show being played out in front of us. Timothy mouth-grunted to stop the buck, and there he stood, broadside at 15yd with the orange sky behind him. What a beautiful sight. (DW)

Action Point
God is God; there is only one God. He made the orange sky, the green alfalfa, and the buck. Look at this scenario and know that He is God. We can’t paint the sky, create an animal, or cause the plants to grow. We only know that in the grand scheme of things, we are blessed to experience God’s awesomeness.