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Outdoor Truths: Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ July 3, 2019

I have often said God inspired two books. The book of nature and the Bible. Even though this two-book thought scares some of my Christian friends, it's really easy to defend. David, the revered king of Israel wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech; they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." What he was saying was, God authored the book we call nature, and that he inspired it to tell us some things about Himself. It was Paul, the writer of most of the New Testament, who said, "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature." What he too was saying was, God authored the book we call nature, and he inspired it to reveal some things about Himself. Paul, however, made an additional point. It was this. "So, they have no excuse for not knowing God." His point was, there's no excuse for remaining unsure. While we may wish God would reveal himself in more direct ways, He has given us enough to do the job. And for those of us who enjoy the outdoors, we are given these proofs in waves. The longer we are among nature, the more we are engulfed by the evidences for the existence of God and for his qualities, power, and nature. Among all others, WE, in the hunting/fishing community, are the most without excuse. As a result, the least likely place to find an atheist would be in our ranks. We watch the skies proclaim the work of his hands. The question however is this. "What's the purpose in knowing?" While knowing is better than not knowing; just knowing about something doesn't necessarily add anything significant our life. But knowing about God DOES bring something significant to one's life. It brings a contemplation beyond ourselves. It causes us to think outside our own world. It causes us to think about something deeper than mere existence. The purpose of knowing is to find purpose in our knowing. It is to understand when God revealed Himself to us, it was so that we might understand we are in God's mind and in His plan. And if I am in God's plan in such a way as He would write the book of nature in order to connect with me; I must be a special part of that plan. And you are too.

gary@outdoortruths.org ~ www.outdoortruths.org


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