His Ways Are Higher
In Proverbs 21:5 we read, "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty."
There have been many hunts where I've entered the woods without doing my homework. Sometimes it was lack of scouting, other times lack of preparation, and there were those times where I lacked the necessary equipment to get the job done.
There was one occasion in early November, back in the 90s, that comes to mind. I had driven about an hour from home in the wee hours of the morning and was in my hanging stand well before legal shooting time. My stand was on a piece of private land bordering a state park. The deer were moving that day and by 8:00a.m. I had seen several bucks and doe that were caught up in rut activity. The air was heavy, but the deer were on the move and I was gonna fill my tag. I could just feel it!
In minutes it started to mist and soon that mist turned into a drizzle. Within an hour it had turned into freezing rain, but the deer didn't care because the rut was on! I had my bow and arrows, a backpack with a bottle of juice, a couple sandwiches, my binoculars, a grunt tube, toilet paper, and my license. I had everything I needed except rain gear. Within an hour I begin to shiver. After another 30 minutes I was shaking so bad, I knew I would have to get down and go home.
We live in a culture obsessed with convenience and speed. Overnight results and shortcuts are the preferred choice for most. We fail to plan far beyond this minute too often. The scriptures remind us that God's ways may be slower, but they always give better results.
In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
There is no substitute for doing the work and following the plan. And God’s plans are better and surer than our ways. We need look for God’s plan and then patiently move forward waiting on His directions.
In all of life don't look for shortcuts but seek out God's ways. Then follow Him.
Joel Raygor – Friend of God’s Great Outdoors
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