Posts with the category “daily-devotions”

Psalm 23 says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."  Have you ever considered why, for a child of God, this is the valley of the SHADOW of death? There can only be a shadow when LIGHT is present. Jesus is that light. John 1:1-9, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through ...  Read More

Hours of heavy rain melted the last of the winter ice off the pond in front of my cabin. This morning the water is utterly still. It's as though the sheet of ice that covered it yesterday was never there. It was simply washed away. This is the way that God deals with a Christian's sins. They have been washed away by the blood of Christ. The past is gone. The evidence is gone."If anyone is in Chris...  Read More

These long daylight hours are something I've hungered for. Don't get me wrong, there's something special about wearing a headlamp in the early morning darkness while climbing a mountain, but the ability to SEE adds layers of enjoyment to being outside. Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and SEE that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Our senses are incredible gifts. As I stood in ...  Read More

When God tells us in Ephesians 5:18 to "be filled with the Holy Spirit," we see that you and I have an active part to play in this 'filling.' More than that, it is a continuous tense verb that would be better read, "Be being filled," or, "Keep on being filled." This is not automatic. Many things will hinder this filling- this outpouring of God's Spirit into your life. Coarse language, unkind speec...  Read More

King David, before he was king, became best friends with Saul's son, Jonathan. In fact, they were much closer than friends. In today's terms we might call them 'blood brothers'- men who shared the same heart and who would willingly die for each other. What knit them together? As we read the account of Jonathan and his armor-bearer scaling a tower to attack the enemy on top, we see that Jonathan ha...  Read More

I've always taken my weather cues from Tigger, who said, "Rain, rain, go away. Come again on some other guy!" I prefer a world where the sun always shines and plants are watered from dew and beautiful springs coming up from the ground. But then, we don't always get what we want, do we? The beautiful thing about growing closer to Christ is that he changes what we want.When we CHOOSE to make life ab...  Read More

God said, "Don't be afraid. I will rescue you." Sometimes we need a rescue, don't we? Yesterday mine included a dead machine in the middle of the wilderness, a call for help from a good friend who 'just happened' to be near, an ATV, a chainsaw, two tow ropes, a truck, and a 6 mile tow out. If my friend hadn't been there (100 miles from his home) my machine would still be out there.If I hadn't haul...  Read More

I've been waking up sleeping muscles- hibernating might be more accurate. Actually, I should say that many of my muscles have been in a 'self-induced coma.' I've spent a few days doing hard physical labor. Now I hurt almost everywhere. It's not the "I'm injured" kind of hurt. It's the "you better start working out" kind of hurt.I think I learned in science that 'an object at rest tends to stay at ...  Read More

I pulled to a stop and began pulling out my driver's license as the police officer parked behind me. Adding to the humiliation of the flashing lights was the fact that in a small town virtually every car that went by knew me. Suddenly- just like that- my circumstances changed. The policeman stepped on the gas and went roaring past me, shaking his finger at me as he went by. He'd gotten called to s...  Read More

I was a junior in high school when I intentionally 'rolled through' a stop sign in my small town. I said to my brother John, "I didn't see that stop sign, did you?" He said, "Nope. And I hope that cop behind us didn't see it either." In that moment, flashing lights and a siren started up behind me. I went from prideful to humble in less than a second. I bought my own car and paid my own insurance,...  Read More

Do you find yourself always in a hurry? Why is that? Jesus said that he "did everything the Father gave him to do" and yet we never read that he was late. We never read that he was in a hurry. We never read that he missed an appointment. The usual problem is that you didn't get started early enough. True, there will always be unexpected delays. That's a part of life, but when you get up earlier or...  Read More

It was a big river of unknown depth, literally rushing out of the foot of a glacier. The problem? I needed to cross. I walked to the widest spot in the river, tossed a stick out into the channel, and told my Chesapeake Bay Retriever ('Tucker') to "Fetch!" I wanted to see how far he could wade and how far he had to swim. The first spot was definitely no good, so I tried again and then again. I slow...  Read More

Yesterday I had a new experience. Out in the middle of the forest I had a bird land on my hand. It chirped when I told it to sing praises to God. It fluttered just a few feet away as I reached into my pack and pulled out some cheese. I put a small piece in my hand and it flew over and stood on my palm and ate. Then it looked up at me waiting for more. As it stood on my hand- so trusting- it remind...  Read More

There is no end to the needs that surround us. How do you decide where to help? After all, you can't do two things at once and you only have so much money to give. To begin with, I would tell you to be very careful before giving money or time to organizations that do not proclaim the gospel. I'm not saying don't do it. You might have a chance to witness when you volunteer. I'm simply saying that y...  Read More

Sarah Cooke, Amanda Smith, Elizabeth Fry, Jessie Penn Lewis, Amy Carmichael, Bertha Smith, Marie Monson, Catherine Booth... just a few of the women used mightily of God to change their generations. How? By walking so closely with Jesus that they knew His POWER! They knew what it was to be not simply 'indwelt', but FILLED with the Holy Spirit. As I've read through decades of journals and reflection...  Read More

Prayer changes THINGS. All throughout history, we find that it is the unchanging nature of God to CHANGE his plans based upon the prayers of his people. Very often he is WAITING for us to pray- DESIRING that we would pray. Why? Because prayer changes US! We know ABOUT God through the Scriptures, but we KNOW God through the intimacy of constant communication and a love relationship. His Spirit test...  Read More

"You shot me!" Two friends and I were hunting ptarmigan on our snowshoes north of Paxson Lake. We were walking beside each other in a line about 40 yards apart. The birds flushed right in front of us and I shot straight ahead. As my dog retrieved the bird, I turned and shuffled as quickly as I could over to help my wounded friend. I knew that I hadn't shot in his direction, but I figured our other...  Read More

May 5 and the last little snow patch in my yard will be gone today. Soon the trees will be budding and the grass will start turning green. Spring is a very short season in Central Alaska. The days have been getting longer since last December, and will be getting shorter again in less than 6 weeks. This is the cycle of life in the far North. But here's the deal- new life ALWAYS comes. ALWAYS. I saw...  Read More

Sunrise on top of a mountain. This time of year that takes an early morning climb, but it is so worth it. Though I've been doing this for many years, my least favorite part of a climb has never changed- it's the first 10-15 minutes. My body is adjusting to the exertion, I have an unpleasant feeling that borders on nausea, and I feel like quitting every single time. But slowly (I wish I could say '...  Read More

Isn't it great to laugh? To be with good friends or loved ones in a joyful atmosphere builds us up- it literally strengthens us. God did not simply command feast DAYS, He commanded WHOLE WEEKS be given simply to celebrating his goodness with one another. These were parties in the very best sense of the word. All business and work was put on hold, they broke out the food and the musical instruments...  Read More

Back when it was legal for moose hunters to take any bull, good hunters had a distinct advantage. When the state implemented rigid antler restrictions, 'dumb luck' became far more important than skill for those who hunt off the road system. In a typical year I call in several bulls right to me, but in a typical year NONE of them are legal. Last year I passed on 5 bulls. At the same time, many novi...  Read More

How much do I pray? Not as much as I should. If we really believe that God hears and answers prayer, we should pray about EVERYTHING- ALL THE TIME. As Christians, we should be praying for our lost friends and relatives. We should be praying for our lost co-workers and neighbors. We should be praying for our lost government officials. We should be praying for our churches and leaders and missionari...  Read More

Occasionally when I am out in the mountains I will 'sense' danger. Often my adrenaline surges and every part of me is on high alert. When you and I are walking with the Lord the way we ought to be, we experience that same sense of danger when Satan tempts us to sin. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. And God is faithful. He will not let you be ...  Read More

Simplicity is one of the keys to enjoying life. Let me give you an example. Let's say that you have a few acres of land and want horses. Aside from the initial cost, the vet bills and farriers, you still need saddles and tack. You'll also need a trailer. Then you'll discover that you need a bigger truck to pull it. Suddenly there is a truck payment and much higher insurance, and we haven't even ta...  Read More

The Scripture tells us to "beware of false teachers." But how do we know? Certainly not by their popularity because many false teachers are very popular. Not by the size of their church, because many false teachers pastor large churches. Then how? God actually spells this out very clearly in Scripture. He said of new Christians in the city of Berea, "Now the Bereans were more noble than their brot...  Read More

First I heard a twig snap- then another. I was straining my eyes and ears- listening for sound- looking for movement. And just like that, there was my bear... at 11 PM... after 4 hours in a tree... The key to caring for all wild game is to keep the meat clean and then get it cold. This is especially true of a bear because their thick hide is like a thermal blanket and will quickly sour the meat. I...  Read More

So there I was- reading a book- sitting high in a tree- at 10 o'clock at night. I could have scraped the mosquitoes off my headnet by the handful. I had to wear medical rubber gloves to keep them off my hands. Though reading, I was also concentrating on the sounds surrounding me- listening for a twig to snap or even the breathing of a large animal. Other than a couple of squirrels chasing each oth...  Read More

I'm one of the worst 'still hunters' in human history. Sitting still when I'm out in the woods- much less sitting still for hours in the freezing cold or when I am being eaten alive by mosquitoes- is not my 'gift.' I've had to learn to deal with this, because sitting still is essential for hunting success in Alaska. The hours spent looking through binoculars or a spotting scope pay off when an ani...  Read More

Many years ago I was teaching at Colony Middle School in Palmer, Alaska. Opening day of moose season fell on a school day, so right after school I headed into the mountains around Hatcher Pass. Still wearing my khaki pants and button down shirt, I made my way into a small clearing in the middle of the black spruce and began 'calling.' Just before dark a bull stepped into the clearing and I put him...  Read More

Wild fish and game was a large part of our diet when I was growing up. Duck, pheasant, grouse and venison were staples, as well as walleye and northern pike, bass, panfish and trout. My mom can make an excellent meal out of just about anything. My one-year older brother John is somewhat of a modern day Daniel Boone, and this was every bit as true when he was a young boy. When we walked to the Zumb...  Read More

Resurrection Sunday was a beautiful day. After an amazing worship service led by pastors Zech and AJ, a service that included the opportunity to share the gospel with over 500 visitors and first time guests, we had five families for Easter dinner and games. Of course, Laura filled over 100 eggs for a hunt for all the kids. I met with a small group of men early yesterday morning in Anchorage and th...  Read More

For many years I've spoken of my love for mountain climbing. To be honest, I love BEING in the high places much more than I love the process of getting there. The process is not simply physically demanding, it's often grueling and unpleasant. But then- so is lifting weights or training for a marathon. GETTING strong and STAYING strong is hard work. The same thing is true spiritually. Strength come...  Read More

EasterCelebrated in over 150 nations, this is the day that we celebrate the most important event in human history- the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The man who claimed to have come from heaven to rescue humanity from the penalty of our sins is the same man who was put to death on a cross- killed publicly- at the hands of Jewish leaders and the Roman government. For three years he taught like no o...  Read More

What does it take to create a new habit- a healthy habit- a life-altering habit? Those kinds of habits are hard. Going on a daily run or to the club to work out is much harder than, say, having ice cream every night before bed. Working out is more difficult NOW, but leads to a higher quality of life. Indulging our appetites is more fun NOW, but leads to a lower quality of life. In order to develop...  Read More

Building the buck and pole fence was one thing, getting the trees down the mountain was quite another. The mountainside was extremely steep. Using a chainsaw and axes we would knock down, limb and gather a half dozen trees and then put the end of a lasso around the tips. Then, riding a good mountain horse, I would lunge the horse up the mountainside, grab the end of the lasso and wrap it around th...  Read More

Lodgepole pines hold their diameter a long way up the trunk, and that without branches. They were our raw material the summer three of us built about a mile of 'buck and pole' fence. Off the thick end of the tree we would cut two 6' bucks. Those were notched and stood in an 'x' shape on the ground. Three poles, the skinny ends of the tree, were placed between each two bucks forming the fence. Our ...  Read More

As much as I hated to do it, I had been wanting to sell my cabin for a couple of years. It was 200 miles from home, and I was using it less and less. I was skinning out the bear's paws and skull on my porch when a man and his wife came to look at the cabin. It turned out he was a taxidermist, and his wife said, "He'll rug that bear for you for free." He bought the cabin and he 'rugged' my bear. Be...  Read More

It was hours before I had the bear skinned and the meat out of the mountains. The next morning I was sitting on a stump on the porch of my cabin skinning out the paws and skull. That's when I noticed that the bear's nose was bigger than my foot. This was a big bear. Everything is harder with one set of hands, but sometimes we need to 'make do' with what we have, don't we? Single parenting is like ...  Read More

My bear was down, but now what do I do with him? I was by myself, and it's impossible to lift a leg, run a skinning knife and peel hide at the same time. Worse, he died under a spruce tree and the ground was covered with needles. This meant I had to be extremely careful to keep the meat off the ground. There was only one thing I could do. I tied off both legs to the tree with 550 cord to hold them...  Read More

Suddenly there he was- a BIG interior grizzly. He was close and coming closer, heading straight for a small opening where i'd have a clear shot. I held my breath and was amazingly calm as my heart pounded. I settled my rifle scope on the opening. My senses were on high alert. This was the opportunity I'd been waiting for. And then... just like that... he jumped into the heavy brush and was crashin...  Read More