Bible Study Verses
Deuteronomy 32:10-12
In a desert land He found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; He guarded him as the apple of His eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft. The Lord alone led him; no foreign god was with him. (NIV)
Thoughts
Have you ever thought about "why" you love the outdoors? As I look around at the world, I see people building safety nets around their lives. We do everything from putting our children in every safety feature imaginable (physical safety) to investing in our retirement funds (retirement safety) to building up our savings account (current economic safety) to making our lives as completely comfortable in our homes, our vehicles, and our work environment as possible.
Now, don't get me wrong, safety isn't a bad thing in and of itself. But, I've come to the realization that most of us don't need more safety. We need more wilderness . . . not necessarily the mountains, the lakes, or the deserts. They are wonderful creations, but they shouldn't become idols in and of themselves.
We need the experience of wilderness times. We need to experience difficulty, adversity, and times of trouble. We need to question how we're going to make it.
(Dave M)
Action Point
These might appear to be over the top, drastic, or radical ideas for some. Here's what I know - God does some of His best work in my life when I'm at a point where I'm not feeling safe and secure.
As a matter of fact, God has my full attention when things are tough. I tend to listen to Him better during these moments. I'm more likely to respond to His leading when I don't have all the other potential distractions in my way. I fully believe that we need the wilderness, because what we really need to realize is that the only true place of safety is when we are sitting in the middle of God's will for our lives.
Do an assessment of where you are spiritually today. Are you following God with your whole heart and trusting in Him for your daily life, or have you put your faith in man's systems of comfort or safety?
God desires our hearts fully, not the left-over scraps beyond the safety nets we have built.
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
In taking groups out into the wilderness on backpacking trips, each day should have a new leader. The leader should be responsible for map reading and finding the right trails. If the leader messes up, don't be afraid to let the group walk a few miles down the wrong trail before asking probing questions to get the group back to where they belong. These are the types of lessons that won't soon be forgotten and spiritual truths can be reinforced about the types of trails we venture down.
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