The Lord of The Longbeards – Proverbs 12:27
I love to hunt turkeys. It’s all I’ve been talking about the last few weeks. In Kentucky, spring season started on Saturday, 4/18. We had a busy schedule on opening day, so I had to wait until Sunday afternoon to go on my first hunt. As soon as I got home and unloaded the gifts from the baby shower (thank you all, by the way), I threw on my gear and hit the woods.
At about 4:15pm, a tom (adult male) walks into the field. I see his bright blue head, his bright red gobble, and his black beard dangling from his chest. Any turkey hunter will tell you: Calling up a gobbler is the most addicting feeling ever.
My adrenaline kicks in. He sees my hen (female) decoy, but he’s just outside of shotgun range. So here I am, gun raised, back against the ladder of the tree stand, sitting in the most awkward position, waiting for this gobbler to get close. But instead of getting closer, he decides to strut back and forth, trying to get my decoy to come to him. This continued until almost 6pm. He never got any closer.
Knowing that turkey season is only 3 weeks, I told myself, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Needless to say, I overestimated my marksmanship.
As soon as my struttin’ tom ran off, I told myself, “Golly, that was stupid.”
When you blow it like that, your mind starts to race. “I should have done this differently.” “I shouldn’t have taken that shot.” “I should have come earlier.” “I should have gone to a different spot.” “I should have put my decoy further away.” But, what’s done is done.
I always like to pray before I hunt, no matter what I‘m hunting- even squirrels. Before this hunt, I had prayed for wisdom, safety, and success. As you can see, thanks to my ego, I got the safety part, but not the other two!
Part of me didn’t want to go again this morning, but then I recalled Proverbs 12:27 -
“The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.”
In other words: you snooze, you lose. But notice that last part: the diligent get their reward. What I needed yesterday wasn’t better shot placement or a stroke of luck; it was diligence. After another unsuccessful hunt this morning, I imagined what I would tell Ezra if he were in my shoes. I thought, “We’ll get him. We just gotta stick with it.” And if by God’s grace I do tag out this season, the satisfaction will be tenfold what I would have had on opening weekend.
There is so much biblical wisdom to be learned from hunting. Maybe that’s why there’s such a draw to it. In a world of smartphones, microwaves, and instant gratification, pursuing wild game forces you to be strategic (Proverbs 29:18, Luke 14:28) to be still (Psalm 46:10), to observe (Psalm 8:3-4), and sometimes, improvise.
It’s amazing that God can use something as simple as hunting to conform us into the image of His Son. What is God trying to show you through the activities of your life? What Biblical wisdom can you gain from the things you enjoy doing- things like hunting, building, reading, or traveling? Open His Word, be diligent in prayer, and God will change you in ways that you didn’t expect.
To God Be the Glory,
Bro. Casey
I love to hunt turkeys. It’s all I’ve been talking about the last few weeks. In Kentucky, spring season started on Saturday, 4/18. We had a busy schedule on opening day, so I had to wait until Sunday afternoon to go on my first hunt. As soon as I got home and unloaded the gifts from the baby shower (thank you all, by the way), I threw on my gear and hit the woods.
At about 4:15pm, a tom (adult male) walks into the field. I see his bright blue head, his bright red gobble, and his black beard dangling from his chest. Any turkey hunter will tell you: Calling up a gobbler is the most addicting feeling ever.
My adrenaline kicks in. He sees my hen (female) decoy, but he’s just outside of shotgun range. So here I am, gun raised, back against the ladder of the tree stand, sitting in the most awkward position, waiting for this gobbler to get close. But instead of getting closer, he decides to strut back and forth, trying to get my decoy to come to him. This continued until almost 6pm. He never got any closer.
Knowing that turkey season is only 3 weeks, I told myself, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Needless to say, I overestimated my marksmanship.
As soon as my struttin’ tom ran off, I told myself, “Golly, that was stupid.”
When you blow it like that, your mind starts to race. “I should have done this differently.” “I shouldn’t have taken that shot.” “I should have come earlier.” “I should have gone to a different spot.” “I should have put my decoy further away.” But, what’s done is done.
I always like to pray before I hunt, no matter what I‘m hunting- even squirrels. Before this hunt, I had prayed for wisdom, safety, and success. As you can see, thanks to my ego, I got the safety part, but not the other two!
Part of me didn’t want to go again this morning, but then I recalled Proverbs 12:27 -
“The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.”
In other words: you snooze, you lose. But notice that last part: the diligent get their reward. What I needed yesterday wasn’t better shot placement or a stroke of luck; it was diligence. After another unsuccessful hunt this morning, I imagined what I would tell Ezra if he were in my shoes. I thought, “We’ll get him. We just gotta stick with it.” And if by God’s grace I do tag out this season, the satisfaction will be tenfold what I would have had on opening weekend.
There is so much biblical wisdom to be learned from hunting. Maybe that’s why there’s such a draw to it. In a world of smartphones, microwaves, and instant gratification, pursuing wild game forces you to be strategic (Proverbs 29:18, Luke 14:28) to be still (Psalm 46:10), to observe (Psalm 8:3-4), and sometimes, improvise.
It’s amazing that God can use something as simple as hunting to conform us into the image of His Son. What is God trying to show you through the activities of your life? What Biblical wisdom can you gain from the things you enjoy doing- things like hunting, building, reading, or traveling? Open His Word, be diligent in prayer, and God will change you in ways that you didn’t expect.
To God Be the Glory,
Bro. Casey
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