So, you want to be a hunter?
We live in a day where "hunting" has taken on a different face, a different meaning than it did a few generations back. We live in a day where new hunting gadgets or products are promoted to the point of ALMOST guaranteeing a successful hunt. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy as much technology as I can justify on my hunting budget. Trail camera pictures can only tell you so much about a certain animal or a certain area. Scent control products may help mask your scent, but can't completely fool the senses of a game animal. A new treestand or ground blind may help elevate or conceal you, but if the game animal is not in the area, they are not much more than a weight to carry in and out of the woods.
Listening to my dad talk about hunting as a kid is much different than the hunts we see on video today. They hunted not because they wanted a trophy for the wall or for bragging rights. They hunted because they needed to put food on the table. They hunted to provide nourishment for their family. They didn't have the smoothly promoted gadgets and gizmos, but they took their share of game. They relied on knowing the land and knowing the animals they were hunting. In pursuit of game, no gadget can substitute for boots on the ground and time in the woods.
These same applications can be made in our "hunt" for God. We can gather at a beautiful building with comfortable seats with central heat and air to keep us happy. We can enjoy talented musicians as we sing songs displayed on screens by projectors. We can even read the scriptures of the message from an App on our smart phones. Again, all those things are great if they fit in our budgets... but they don't guarantee a relationship with God. Do we have the same kind of passion in our hunt for God as we do our hunt for game? Are we as intent upon listening for His voice as we are at listening for that grunt or gobble? Are we hunting for God because we desire the nourishment, the enhancement that His presence brings to our lives, or are we just seeking Him with a bumper sticker mentality, not really knowing what to do with Him if we actually find him? In pursuit of God, there is no substitute for knees on the ground and time in the word.
Jeremiah 29:12-13
The Message (MSG)
12"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. 13"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed."
