June 3, 2012   

Today's Photograph . . . . It Was Then That This Giant Of A Dog Would Come And Quietly Sit Beside Him And Just Be There For Him (Cliff S)

Bible Study Verses Psalm 46:1-3 God is our Refuge and Strength, an ever-present Help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (NIV) Psalm 46:7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (NIV) Thoughts  Today was an interesting day. It started out at a Bible study with a special group of men, and this Psalm was the topic of the day.  A short time after that, I made a quick trip to the mountains to say farewell to a hunting buddy, a four-legged hunting buddy. Reep, our ninety-pound, ten-year-old English Setter, had pointed his last quail, and it was time to say good-bye.  While it hurt me, it was my son's reaction that had the greatest impact on me. A few years ago, we had gone through some tough times, specifically, the breakup of our family. What my son told me was that when he was particularly hurting, he would go to the back yard alone and vent his anger and frustrations. It was then that this giant of a dog would come and quietly sit beside him and just be there for him. I knew that there was a special connection and fondness between them. (My son had first hunted quail over this dog.) Now I understand more fully why.   (Cliff S) Action Point This may seem like a superficial analogy; but just as Reep was always there for my son in his tough times, so God is always there for us in our trials and our troubles:   God is our Refuge, we can rest in Him. God is our Strength, we can lean on Him. God is our ever-present Help in trouble, we can trust in Him. God is always with us. He is our Fortress. We can rest easy in all circumstances knowing that God is constantly by our side.  If you haven't accepted Jesus as your Savior, do it, do it now. Pray a simple prayer of confession and acceptance of His gift of salvation. Ask God to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart. God is faithful, He will hear you, and He will answer you. He will become your refuge, your strength, and your fortress!!! Sportsmen's Tip of the Day Kids and dogs--they go together. Encourage your children to spend time with your hunting dogs; take them out hunting together. The lessons they learn from the dogs are lessons that we can't teach them. And, by the way, the time spent with your children in the field will be the greatest gift you can give them.