I will long remember the
opening day of my first deer season. A member of our hunting party kicked
out a nice six-pointer to me which stopped broadside only yards away. You
could not have asked for an easier shot.
However, for some reason I could not
bring the rifle to my shoulder. Instead, I shot eight times from the hip
hitting dirt and trees a few feet in front of me. I watched helplessly as
the buck finally bounded out of sight.
This was my initial and (hopefully) most
memorable experience with a severe case of the jitters commonly known as
"buck fever." Perhaps there was a time when you got a touch of
the fever yourself.
Those who are unfortunate enough to fall
under the influence of "buck fever" have been known to do such strange
things as: shout "bang! bang!," lever unfired rounds on the ground,
and yell for a deer to stop without firing a single shot. I even remember
reading of one hunter who downed his deer and then ran to put the tag on.
He ended up with his deer, but two broken legs as well. In all the
excitement he forgot he was in a treestand more than fifteen feet off of the
ground!
Nevertheless, as powerful as "buck
fever" may seem, there is a force far stronger at work in our lives.
An energy that frequently explodes and injures everyone with whom it comes in
contact. This power that I'm referring to is not limited to a particular
season of the year nor to a select group of people called "hunters."
No, this destructive energy indwells and at times overrides every single member
of the human race. Its name -- the sinful nature.
But God has not left us helpless. He
has provided a "helper." There is someone who will take up
residence in our life and begin bringing the sinful nature under control.
His name -- the Holy Spirit.
If we have truly trusted Jesus Christ as
our Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us and seeks to help us live lives
that are pleasing to the Lord. As the apostle Paul told the believers in
Rome, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the
Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ" (Romans 8:9).
© Tom Rakow. All rights reserved. Taken from http://www.rockdove.com. Dr. Rakow is the President of The Christian Deer Hunters Association (CDHA) and Rock Dove Publications. He has granted permission for us to post his devotions. They publish several other Christian devotions in booklets. CDHA's address is P.O. Box 432, Silver Lake, Minnesota, 55381. Their phone number is 320-327-2266. http://www.christiandeerhunters.org is their Web address. Rock Dove’s phone number is 1-888-HIS-DOVE. Their Web address is http://www.rockdove.com. Randy Rowley will be happy to check out a Rock Dove booklet (Devotions for Dog Lovers or The Story of the Prodigal Pooch) or a CDHA newsletter or devotional booklet ("Devotions for Deer Hunters" Volumes II, III, or IV) to FCS members only.