In Step with the Master

I had the opportunity this past Monday to quail hunt at a nearby hunting preserve with eight other sportsmen from Cool Spring. After the required paperwork was completed and guidelines were established, the preserve manager split us up into three hunting parties, and sent each party out to a different field on the property where quail had been previously released. My party's guides brought along two bird dogs; one of them was young, rambunctious and full of herself, and the other was older, experienced and intentional in his movements. Prior to beginning our hunt, the guide of the neighboring party commented that our older dog had been raised, trained and taken care of by him when he was younger, and that he was likely going to want to come over to him before the hunt was through. Well, it turned out that he was right, and after demonstrating his precision and accuracy in locating, pointing and retrieving birds, the older dog did leave us to seek out his master in the next field over.

Once her 'mentor' had left, the younger dog ran briskly throughout the field, flushed some of our quail out of our hunting area, and attempted to catch some of the quail on the flush, causing some birds to get away without a shot. After the neighboring party was finished with their hunt, the older dog rejoined us and proved his value almost immediately, locating a wounded bird that had buried itself in the tangled grass which the younger dog had run past repeatedly without noticing. All in all, the nine of us had an enjoyable afternoon in the field, harvesting nearly 60 quail and several bonus pheasants.

John 10:4-5 (NASB)
"When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."

John 8:12 (NASB)
"Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life".

The behavior and demeanor of the two dogs with our hunting party resonated with me. The younger dog still had a lot of puppy in her, as she chased after every scent the wind brought past her and paid little attention to our guides' commands. In contrast, the older dog had obviously learned and experienced many things afield, as he stayed focused on the task at hand, efficient and effective in his movements, all the while listening for the voice of and staying extremely loyal to his master. See, our guides had intentionally placed these two dogs together in the field that day, with the purpose of having the younger dog learn from working with the older one; learn how to work the field, how to locate and point birds, how to honor another dog's point and how to stay in tune with the master's commands. The behavior and demeanor of the young dog could be paralleled to those who are seeking to connect with or who have recently connected with Christ, while the older dog in many respects exemplified those who are tuned into God's voice, have chosen to stay focused on His purpose for their lives and above all else stay intensely loyal to Him.

Guys, which of the dogs can you relate to most closely? Are you tuned in to the voice of God and with His mission for your life? Or do you find yourself chasing every whim that passes you by? I urge you to examine where you are on your spiritual journey. Scripture tells us that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, and when we choose to follow Him we will no longer walk in the darkness. If you acknowledge that you are in need of a spiritual mentor, take the initiative to seek one out. And if you are in tune with God and his mission on your life, look around for those amongst you who need a seasoned mentor to train them up in the way they should go. - GE

Related tip
Invest in and be a mentor to those around you. Several of the founding members of the Outdoor Sportsman's Ministry took the opportunity to invite and invest in the lives of a couple of young sportsmen new to Cool Spring on this hunting trip. Remember that the conversations and experiences that you have with others in your outdoor adventures are more impactful than what is ever caught or harvested during the trip.