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Outdoor Truths: Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ April 13, 2017

Sometimes the circumstances call for a change of plans. That was the situation I was in a few days ago. I had taken an extended turkey hunting trip in Kentucky with a friend who would be filming this hunt. We were looking forward to meeting a few of the gobblers that were known to be on this farm. I was expecting to find these toms ready to respond during this late season but what I was not expecting was the cold and rain. One day it even sleeted. Needless to say, it pretty much shut down the vocal posturing these toms make each morning. We were forced to change our plans as to how we might get a shot at a bird. Even though the wind severely hindered our ability to hear a gobble, we could use it to hide our movement as we went from area to area looking for a feeding flock. The plan now would not be to get the gobblers to come to us, but we would go to them. During those three days we climbed, crawled, and chased birds over hill and valley. We slipped and slid between one mud pit after another trying to get in position for one shot. And after a few tries it finally paid off.
So many times we look at our circumstances and quickly conclude that our prospects for success are no longer viable. We are all programmed to see our difficulties as mountains that make our goals impossible or unlikely. We automatically think any problem is something that is keeping us from our purpose. So, it must be bad. This thinking is not from God. First of all, we need to remember that God's purpose for us is in who we are becoming and not what we are doing. His interest in us is that we are growing in who we are as a human and as a Christian, and troubles are merely tools He uses to accomplish His will in our lives. Secondly, we need to remember that problems are used by God to test the faith we have in Him. There is nothing in this life that can hinder Him except our unbelief.
How do you view the winds that are blowing against you right now? And what about that mountain that has shown up suddenly? Do you see them as obstacles or opportunities? Do they cause you to doubt or do they give you reason to look with excitement about how God will overcome even these. For those who trust in God, mountains are just places that give us a better view of God and the winds are His way of guiding us along a better path.

gary@outdoortruths.org ~ www.outdoortruths.org


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