Rise To The Challenge
It was my first extended hunt in Alaska's wilderness. I didn't have a single piece of high quality gear and carried in everything but the kitchen sink. I had the large arctic army pack, which to this day has far more volume (and less comfort) than any pack on the market. I was pleased to get my pack down to just over 70 pounds, and I, of course, had a rifle that weighed 10 more. I hiked in more than 8 miles and climbed two mountains wearing this full pack. Why? What drives a back-country hunter?
Taking nothing away from our tough ladies (and Alaska is full of them), there is something about rising to meet an extreme challenge that satisfies a man at his very core. To struggle and persevere, to suffer and refuse to quit, to rise in the face of adversity and overcome- these things make a man's heart soar. Christian men and women, let me be blunt. If you have a flat, disinterested faith, it's because you have refused to face adversity- to persevere- to struggle and overcome in the sharing of your faith. No pilot wants to spend 20 years in ground school, he wants to fly!
There is a spiritual war being waged all around us. Don't spend your life in basic training, get into the fight! Step outside your comfort zone and invite someone to church TODAY. Pray for a few unsaved family members, friends or co-workers RIGHT NOW- pray that God will bless them and give them success- and then contact them TODAY to let them know you were praying this for them. Rise to the challenge! Get into the battle, and you will be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on October 15, 2026
Posted in Daily Devotions