He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (NIV)
ThoughtsThe year? 1976. The tag? Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep in Hunt Unit 40A. In Arizona you can draw a sheep tag multiple times, if you are very lucky. But, you are allowed only one kill in a life time. Needless to say, this was a very special tag.
My friends were supportive and wanted me to harvest a really good trophy ram. The problem was, I had never hunted sheep and knew nothing about the animals, especially what they looked like in the mountains. That seems funny, but it is a physiological fact that you see what your mind is looking for. But, I had never seen sheep in the wild.
So, enter my friend, Jim, a premier sheep hunter. He put me on a herd of sheep and left me there for two days, just me, my spotting scope, and those sheep. By the time Jim picked me up, I could see sheep. It was like I had been blind before, but now they suddenly stood out up there on the side of the mountain.
I did get lucky and killed a nice trophy. I'm looking at it right now on my office wall!
(Cliff S)
Action PointWe can be spiritually blind for a variety of reasons. We may have never heard of Jesus and His gift of salvation. Maybe we've heard, but haven't had it explained so we can understand. It could be that we've listened to teaching that has blinded us to the truth of the Savior, that He is the only way to a relationship with God. For whatever reason, we might be blind to the truths of Jesus Christ.
Now, enter the Holy Spirit, perhaps through reading the Bible, through the testimony of a friend and believer, or maybe through the teaching of a local pastor or a great evangelist such as Billy Graham. However the Holy Spirit has brought the truth of Jesus into your life, suddenly you can see. You can understand your need for a Savior. You can believe in the truth that Jesus can bring into your life.
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
Before any hunt, get out into the mountains and "get your eye back" by spending time with your optics looking for the animals you will be hunting. It will really help once the excitement of the hunt arrives.
