Daily Sportsmen's Devotional April 6, 2010

[Mergie Master]

Bible Study Verse:

Psalm 49:10-12

Anyone can see that the brightest and best die, wiped out right along with fools and dunces. They leave all their prowess behind, move into their new home, The Coffin, The cemetery their permanent address. And to think they named counties after themselves! We aren't immortal. We don't last long. Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die. (The Message)

Thoughts:

It was opening day of my elk hunt. Although I had not seen as much as a rabbit, I was still very excited as I had drawn a bull tag in an Arizona unit that was known to produce 400 class bulls every year. I still had six days left and planned on being in the field for every second of light, as well as several hours in the dark.

I do not get cell service where I hunt so I always drive to the nearest town at night to call my wife, to let her know all is okay and to see how her and the kids are doing.

This night, when I called was like no other. "My dad's surgery didn't go well. He is in the hospital now and I think he's dying." The news hit like a sucker punch to the stomach. I immediately dropped everything, secured camp and began driving home. (Brett M)

Action:

He had surgery the day before Thanksgiving. A routine operation we were assured. This particular doctor performs three of these a day. Yet in this case, just a few short days later my father-in-law died.

This Psalm tells us that we are all going to die. It does not matter how much we accumulate on this earth, we cannot take it with us.

Each and every one of us will stand before God empty handed. There is, however, one thing that we will take with us to heaven, our investments. Not our stock portfolios or our 401Ks, but our eternal investments.

Where can we find those eternal investments? We find them by having faith in God, reading His word and obeying it and by utilizing the gifts that he has given each and every one of us to further His Kingdom.

There will not be one of us who will find ourselves standing before The Almighty, empty handed wishing we had put more money into our 401K, we had gotten that bigger house or the nicer car. However, every one of us will be wishing we had built up more eternal treasure in Heaven.

Take the time now to re-evaluate your investment portfolio. Are your time, your energy and your money really going to what counts? If not, readjust and make it count.

Sportsmen's Tip of the Day:

If you haven't prepared it already, make your will a priority. You don't want your favorite whitetail mount going to your vegetarian sister and your guns being sold to the neighbors from your driveway.