Think Things Through
I didn't see anything in my bear stand again that night. When I call it a tree 'stand' understand something- there was no seat, only a platform for my feet. I had to literally stand all of those hours every night I hunted. For weeks the only animals I had seen were squirrels. I headed out again the next night and climbed up my tree. After several hours I caught a glimpse of movement, and then I saw it. It was a large black bear and he was headed my way.
My heart was racing as I carefully drew my bow, aimed, and let the arrow fly. Months of practice- thousands of practice shots at the range- all came down to this moment. The arrow looked good as the bear raced off behind me. I begin counting immediately "one- one thousand, two- one thousand, three- one thousand..." After just a few seconds, I heard a sound off in the woods, "Oooooumph!" I thought I got him. I hoped I got him.
I decided to wait 30 minutes in my stand before climbing down to try to find him. This required a great deal of patience on my part, but blood trailing a wounded bear through the brush without a gun was something I hadn't even considered until this moment. Sometimes in life we get what we ask for and then discover that we aren't prepared to receive it. You have a dependable OLD car, but see just enough room in your budget to make payments on something new. You convince yourself it's a good deal because it gets better gas mileage.
After signing the paperwork, you discover that your insurance must now be full coverage and your premium is going up by an additional $100 a month. Now you have zero margin in your budget and the washing machine breaks down... You got what you wanted (the new car) but discovered that you weren't prepared to receive it.
Enjoy this beautiful life God has given you, but carefully consider those things that you 'want.' 1 Timothy 6:6 says, "Godliness with contentment is great gain." Some things truly make life better, while others simply add new layers of stress to our already busy lives. Plan carefully, think things through, and you will be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on November 9, 2025
Posted in Daily Devotions