Looking Forward to Better Days

Do any of you experience a 'down time' during the year? I think it is occasionally referred to as seasonal depression. I have to admit that I definitely do, and that time is now. Deer season is over, turkey season is not here yet, the days are relatively short, and most days are too cold to think about fishing. My wife dreads this time of year because she says I pace around the house, obsessing about and over-analyzing my ailments, and struggling to find something to do. What does help me is that I am a planner and a 'prepper', so I can stay busy taking weekly trips to the local sporting goods stores, putting fresh line on my fishing reels, cleaning up, repairing and organizing my hunting clothes, even working on tree stands and cutting shooting lanes. What really fuels me during this down time, though, is researching, planning and looking forward to my upcoming hunting and fishing trips. This year, in addition to discovering the 'God-sized' plans that He has for Scope & Hook, I am planning to spend a week out in western Montana assisting Brodie Swisher with his Youth Bowhunter Camp. I am also looking forward to a three-day fishing and shooting trip to the Eastern Shore of Virginia with the Cool Spring sportsmen. You know you are passionate about the outdoors when in January you are already planning out your entire year's vacation around when you want to be in the field!

Matthew 24:29-31 (NASB)
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other."

I am a die-hard sportsmen, spend countless hours in the field, and many of my greatest memories are of times spent in these settings with friends and family. And that is precisely why I spend as many hours as I do looking forward to, planning and preparing for upcoming trips. However, when I meditate on the preceding scripture, I have to pause and think if I look forward to the return of Christ with as much anticipation as I do the time I spend in the outdoors. Based on the promises in God's Word, as well as how He continues to work in and through my life, all my earthly experiences, hopes and dreams ought to pale in comparison to the hope of spending forever with Him. Why is it easy to get caught up focusing on the present, the physical, the concrete, the here and now, and lose sight of Christ's promised return and the Hope to come?

Guys, I am sure you too are beginning to prepare for your upcoming fishing and hunting trips. Let me ask - have you already prepared for Christ's imminent return? None of us know the exact day or the hour, but you can still prepare for it by asking Him to be the Savior and Lord of your life. Consider how much more you will enjoy the wonders of creation on your next adventure when you are connected with the Creator Himself. - GE

Related Tip
Now is the time to renew your fishing and hunting licenses, and refresh yourself on the latest regulations for your area. Regulations are reviewed each year by state fish and wildlife agencies, and can change without you knowing it. It is your responsibility to be informed of the current regulations where you fish and hunt. If you are planning to take any hunting trips outside of your home state, now is a great time to research and apply for the necessary permits and tags in order to put yourself in a position to be drawn for those tags.