Every now and then a piece of hunting or fishing equipment really makes a substantial difference. I’ve heard about when the first Rapala minnow was introduced. It soon became the standard for catching fish. The compound bow also revolutionized bow hunting. And there have also been other smaller inventions that have really made a mark as well. I still won’t go deer hunting without my screw in umbrella.
Perhaps the latest inductee to this group is the trail camera. In its simplest form it takes a picture of the deer when it crosses in front of the lens and stamps on the picture the day and time when the deer or other game showed up. In its most technical form, it will take pictures or video in the light of day or the dark of night. It can also transmit these images to your computer or phone without a hunter ever having to go to the site to physically check the camera. Needless to say, this gives a hunter a great advantage in knowing not only the size of the animal that is showing up, but the time of day.
Now I’m not here to debate the ethics of any of this, but only to say it has made a real difference in hunting strategy and success. And even though it is not a sure thing, it has taken much of the guesswork out of hunting a particular area or stand. Instead of wondering about game activity and spending unproductive time in a tree stand, you can now know and plan accordingly.
While this new technique may be argued in hunting circles, this is exactly how we as individuals and churches are to operate when it comes to what we do. It seems most of the time we set our ministry “tree stands” up and hope something or someone passes by. In fact, we set up a lot of them in different places that were once effective, and we hope God will bless our efforts. It’s not too long until we have these “tree stands” every where. And while we may claim that we have several places to hunt, the truth is, we are rarely effective and become quickly overwhelmed and burdened by the simple maintenance of each “stand.”
God meant it to be different and easier. Henry Blackaby put it this way. “Find where God is at work, and join Him.” That is, before you do anything else, before you start another ministry, before you take on one more project, before you set up one more stand; why don’t you just set back and watch, and listen and see where God is working right now (After all, there are several places). And then, when you find out where He is working, take down all your other stands and give all your efforts to the ones where you see the activity of God. Your burdens will be lighter. Your adventures will more fulfilling. And your effectiveness will be assured. |
