Daily Devotional

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Ephesians 6:10-17
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (NIV)

Thoughts
Each morning at sunup, during my daily quiet time, I have a treat watching 50 to 60 cow elk with yearlings walk across the meadow in front of my house.

They gather in anticipation of calving, which usually occurs sometime in April. Banding together in such a large group provides protection while calving, as the coyotes and Mexican gray wolves in the area tend to know when the cows are dropping their newborn.

I will know when this happens, as they tend not to cross the pasture in the open right after they calve.
(Byron S)

Action Point
You and I also need protection from the predator, Satan, as he continually stalks us (1 Peter 5:8). The scriptures warn us again and again about immorality. We often fail to recognize the spiritual war that attacks us through the media on a daily basis.

Pay attention to the Holy Spirit if He repeatedly warns you about a temptation or dangerous situation:
Keep yourself chaste.
Don't depend on your own strength and wisdom in times of weakness.
Call upon Jesus and lean on His strength in fighting these battles
You will gain strength if you take time out daily to read your Bible.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Ephesians 5:15-16
Be very careful, then, how you live -not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (NIV)

Thoughts
Last Spring, my oldest daughter and I were out turkey hunting for her first time. This hunt was the culmination of months of preparation and lots of target practice.

On the first day, she had a great opportunity to take a huge Tom. The beard was all the way down to the ground! Her heart was pounding as she prepared to take the shot. The turkey was at 18 yards, and a case of "turkey fever" had set in. In the excitement to get off a good shot, she grabbed the gun and looked down at the bead. She pulled the trigger; a couple of feathers flew into the air, and the Tom ran away. The best reason that we can determine for the missed turkey is that my daughter didn't look down the barrel from back to front. She shot looking only at the bead on the tip of the barrel without a rear anchor point.

When people are confronted with making an important decision, you'll hear them say, "How do you really know what God's will is?" Seeking God's will is similar to what happened to my daughter with her turkey - she only used the bead to gauge her shot. We didn't have a back sight on the barrel at the time. If she had used a back sight along with the front, she would have been firmly anchored on her target with a much lower margin of error.

In finding God's will, you must first know God's Word; secondly, trust in the Holy Spirit's leading; and finally, seek counsel from Godly people who truly know how you're wired. We may not always hit the mark in our Christian walk, but using each of these together will decrease the likelihood of making decisions that aren't God-honoring.
(Dave M)

Action Point
We live in a fast-paced world; and God's timing isn't always ours. Take time to utilize the tools God has given us to determine the right course of action - read the Bible, pray, and seek Godly counsel. Don't make your decision without doing all three in conjunction with each other. God will answer. Just make sure you have the time to listen!

Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
As much as we all like to hear stories of the successful hunt, the reality for many is that success comes through learning from failed opportunities. Remember, if you are outdoors with a young person, be patient and gracious with them. What's most important is that they have a good time and want to come back again to give it another whirl. Although my daughter missed the Tom, it's one of our favorite memories together. It was exciting, even without the bird!

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
John 3:16-18 -- 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (NIV©)

Thoughts
It’s not unusual to hear someone in the outdoors, or other areas of life, to say, “Trust your gut.” Well, here’s a news flash, my brains aren’t in my “gut.” What I teach new hunters and shooters is to trust their training, trust their equipment, trust what they can see, and trust their mind! Now, this isn’t an exhaustive list of things to trust, but it’s a good start. Your mind is a way better thing to trust than your gut. Cliff S

Action Point
Jesus said to believe, or trust, in Him and you would be saved. But, there were naysayers that tried to dismiss Him and cause others to dismiss Him as well. So, I will go back to what I teach newcomers to hunting. Trust what you read in the Bible, trust what you see in the lives of believers that follow Jesus, and trust your mind when you see that what the Bible teaches and history proves is true. What do I trust? That Jesus actually lived. That’s a historical fact. Jesus was crucified. Another historical fact. And, Jesus rose from the dead. Another historical fact. The naysayers could have easily proved Jesus to be a fraud by, on the third day, simply producing His dead body. But, another fact, they couldn’t. Therefore, what are you going to believe? I, for one, believe in Jesus and because of that, I am saved from my sin. And that’s a fact! I do hope you will join me and believe as well.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Luke 2:11
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (NIV)

Thoughts
On a recent family vacation to southern Indiana to do some hiking and fishing, we spent a couple days at Santa Claus, Indiana home to Holiday World, which is a nice sized amusement park. Fun was had by all, but during our visit we went off the beaten path to visit some of the town’s history. We discovered the original church from the 1800’s, which is still standing and active today. I was reminded by the inside that even though we were on vacation in the outdoors, the Lord never takes a vacation and is always with us. It was July and it was hot, but HE was there with us. On every hike, every cast, or every harvest, the Lord our God is the one who controls it all.
Rob D.

Action Point
Most of you are probably familiar with today’s verse and the Christmas story. Even though it was July, I was humbled when I walked in the chapel. I was hot, dirty, sweaty, and tired…but that baby in the manger, woke me up! I was alive again in Christ, only because of His gentle reminder. Thank you, Lord for the Christmas reminder, in July. Humbled by Your sacrifice for us.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Ecc 3:1, 7 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:… a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Thoughts
We set up before the sun lights up the sky. We listened the night before to know where the gobblers roost. We silently creep to a spot we feel the turkeys will move after coming out of the trees. We call and listen. We call again. We make calls while they are vocal in the trees... Michelle H.

Action Point
In the spiritual world we need to learn when to listen and when to speak (teach). I love to talk and sometimes I don't take the time to listen to the person with whom I am speaking. If I take the time to listen to the person, it can help me decide what topic in God's word to bring up first. Some people don’t have the first clue about our Lord and some know a little more about Him. Then, most importanly, speak with gentle kindness so as not to lose the opportunity to bring that soul to Christ.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Luke 2:11
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (NIV)

Thoughts
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV)

Thoughts
One winter night when I was a wildlife biologist in Alaska, I received a 2 AM call from the local police department. A young moose had fallen into a window well that led into a residential basement. I called my assistant and headed to the office to get gear. On the way, the police called again and the moose had kicked the window in and fallen into the basement. We got there and found this basement was completely below ground (not on a slope), so there was no way to herd it out. You would think you could get a moose to climb stairs...but you would be wrong. We were scratching our heads for a few minutes. We had darting gear with us, but no way to carry it out. Finally, my assistant came up with the idea of calling the local fire department. They always have plenty of strapping young lads and ladies with can-do attitudes and plenty of gear. Eight firemen responded, I darted the moose, and together we were able to carry it out. - Dave B.

Action Point
Sometimes the answer to a problem isn’t more individual effort…it’s more people. It hadn’t even occurred to me to ask anyone for assistance! My pridefulness said “We’re the wildlife professionals, we can handle this.” My assistant’s wisdom asked “Who can we call for help?” As outdoorsmen, we often pride ourselves on being self-reliant, and that can be a virtue. There are many situations we get into in the outdoors in which nobody would come to save us. Nobody could even find us! We must be prepared to take care of ourselves.
But in our spiritual lives (and honestly, sometimes in the outdoors too), this attitude can be a hindrance. There are many issues that God didn’t intend for us to try to handle alone. Whether facing a serious diagnosis, trying to save a failing marriage, dealing with financial hardship, or wrestling with depression, we’re supposed to share our burdens with our brothers and sisters in Christ. They want to help. And they can.

Sportsman's Tip of the Day
We all want to be self-reliant, but don’t let your pride create an emergency. Many outdoor emergencies don’t start with bad luck, they start with someone trying to push too hard and not being realistic about the circumstances they’re in. “This storm doesn’t look all that bad, let’s keep fishing.” “This section of woods doesn’t look familiar, but I’m sure I’ll recognize something if I just go a bit further.” Have the wisdom to recognize when you’re getting into a bad situation and take steps to get yourself out of it early.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
"... Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. " – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV)

Thoughts
Long before Coach Jon Urbanchek became known as one of America's great swim coaches, he was investing in kids like me.

His full-time job was teaching school and coaching a high school swim team. That was what he was paid to do. But his commitment didn't end when the final school bell rang. Five evenings each week he coached an age-group swim team. He patiently taught beginners swim fundamentals. Then, while most people were still sleeping on Saturday mornings, he was back at the community pool from six until ten, coaching another wave of children eager to learn.

As one of those swimmers, I admired Coach Jon's knowledge. Years later, I came to admire something far greater — his sacrifice. Looking back, I realize he wasn't simply teaching stroke technique and endurance. He was investing his evenings, his weekends, and spare moments to help generations grow to love his sport. God later entrusted him with greater opportunities because he had already been faithful with the people God first placed in his lane.
- Bruce M

Action Point
Paul described this kind of mentorship when he wrote, "Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well." The greatest mentors don't simply transfer knowledge; they share their lives. Every mentoring opportunity asks us to give something of ourselves. As God enlarges our influence, He also enlarges our opportunity — and our sacrifice — to invest in others.

Every outdoorsman eventually becomes the experienced one. A son asks one more question. A grandson needs help tying his first knot. A young hunter wants to know why you passed on a shot. A new fisherman backlashes another reel. A hiking partner can't keep your pace.

Those moments test more than your experience — they reveal both what you know and how you inspire others to love the outdoors. You can protect your time, your schedule, and your own success. Or you can quietly absorb the interruption so someone else grows beyond discouragement. Mentoring always costs the mentor something.

Mentorship is choosing to absorb today's inconvenience for someone else's tomorrow.