Pursue Him
After taking my first Dall sheep ram I felt that I was officially a 'sheep hunter.' At that point in my life I had already taken deer, elk, antelope and black bear with a bow and arrow, but this was BY FAR the most difficult hunt I'd ever been on. It was also a great confidence builder, because this was the first time I had ever camped and hunted alone deep in the wilderness. (I had partners, but they had camped miles away and I had no idea where they were when I shot my sheep.)
When Tim and Larry Hand weren't able to go the next year, this gave me the confidence to head into the mountains on my own. But I also felt that I needed to find a new spot to hunt since I didn't feel right about going into their 'secret place' without them. Alaska is unbelievably vast. Imagine for a moment a young man without the money to 'fly' country to find sheep, without knowledge of any trail systems in any mountain range, simply walking into the wilderness trying to find a legal ram.
This was trial and error through intensive labor. The first time that I spotted a band of ewes and lambs I was ecstatic. This meant there had to be rams somewhere in the country. In many respects gaining the life God has for us is similar to this. As a new Christian we aren't sure about how to move forward. Success is simple at first, but we soon discover that continuing to grow in our faith requires intensive labor.
We need to be serious about adopting spiritual disciplines. A Bible-teaching church every Sunday is a starting point, but we also need to be in a Bible study with other believers. Every single morning, we need to start our day reading our Bibles and in prayer. And then we must DO all that God shows us to do. The blessing is real. The abundant life God promises is within your reach. Pursue HIM and you will be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on March 6, 2026
Posted in Daily Devotions