Don't Give Up To Soon
It was late November and the final day of the deer season. I never had filled my buck tag. I borrowed my friends .222 and went into the foothills of the Snowy Mountains to try to call in a fox or coyote. It was −23° and snowing. That temperature was extremely cold for late November, and it was even more unusual that it was snowing at the time. I was wearing insulated coverals over a heavy hooded parka. Just after sundown I saw a huge mule deer buck walking with his nose in the snow. This was the rut, and he was tracking does.
With a small caliber rifle and a tiny bullet I knew that I could not get the penetration that I needed to knock him down, so I opted for a head shot. I thought the deer was dead until I walked up to it. The bullet did not penetrate his skull, it only knocked him out! After I shot him I got my pack and left my rifle back at the truck. This added a little excitement to the experience, but it all worked out.
Because of the temperature, I couldn't hang the deer or it would immediately freeze solid. I had to take it into the local meat locker. I don't remember the weight of the deer. I only remember the butcher (who had probably done thousands of deer) telling me that it was two pounds lighter than the biggest deer he'd ever done. Success came in the most extreme circumstances in the last ten minutes of the last day of the season.
Friends, don't give up too soon. Perhaps you've been praying for loved one to be saved. Perhaps you've been praying for years and seen no results. Maybe you've been praying for a relationship to be mended. Don't ever stop. For those who persist, success often comes in the final hour. Whatever you start- whatever commitments you make- see them through to the very end, and you will be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on July 26, 2025
Posted in Daily Devotions