Hard Work
by Dean Hulce and Joel Raygor
Proverbs 12:27
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
The phrase "you can't kill 'em from the couch" is a classic deer hunting adage you might have heard. But, today with the internet, YouTube, OnX, and so many other easy ways to get information, many might argue that a lot of success actually does start on the couch. Studying topo maps, trail camera photos, and weather patterns from home is key. Hunting smarter, not harder, makes for better use of time and doesn't over pressure deer.
Then there is luck. You might have heard someone say "Luck is preparation meeting opportunity." Or maybe you've heard "The harder I work, the luckier I get." These classic adages highlight that there is no shortcut or substitute for scouting, hanging stands, and clearing shooting lanes. It seems most big bucks are usually tagged by some lucky hunters who scouted hard in the off-season.
Finally there is woodsmanship, which is simply general outdoor wisdom. Most of the people who have it got it by enduring long hours in the stand, in silence, in the cold, and most of those who have it view every unsuccessful hunt as a lesson rather than a failure. It all comes down to trading hard work for reward.
2 Thessalonians 3:10: "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."
Did you know that there are a number of scripture verses that speak to working hard and being rewarded? Here are just a few.
Proverbs 14:23: "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
2 Chronicles 15:7: "But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."
Galatians 6:9: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Colossians 3:23–24: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward."
Salvation is free... Jesus paid the price for it. However, we are "called to good works" in our lives once we've accepted that gift. And there is a cost to ever growing sanctification. Sitting on our hands hoping that God showers gifts on us, is not reality. If we want to grow in our relationship with God and to become stronger in our spiritual walk, it takes hard work on our part.
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