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DO YOU KNOW GOD
As Outdoors people, we should realize and fully understand that the hunting, fishing, and the outdoor adventures we cherish are given for our enjoyment but can in no way provide fulfillment. Our outdoor pursuits provide trophies for the den or cabin wall, but these and the satisfaction and joy they afford are only temporary. Trophies on the wall, and the enjoyment they bring to our minds, can add pleasures to our days but cannot truly provide fulfillment in life. True fulfillment can be found only in a personal relationship with God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
We all know what it’s like to “miss the target,” whether we are shooting at game or casting to a lunker’s hideout. A miss never results in a trophy but to frustration and disappointment. Did you know the word used in the Bible for “sin” literally means “to fall short of the target,” or “to miss”?
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
In our lives, missing the target, or sin, always ultimately results in frustration, disappointment, and failure. Sin has a price, but God desires to freely share His eternal “trophy” (a relationship with Jesus) with each of us.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God not only shows His love for us through the beauty and wonder of His outdoor creation but ultimately through His Son, Jesus. Although the created world cannot fulfill us and make our lives complete, Jesus can!
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God offers us a free gift we can neither earn nor deserve. He offers us a relationship with Jesus, which is the greatest trophy we could ever imagine. Unlike trophies for which we work hard in life, eternal life through Jesus is available only as a free gift from God; we can do nothing to qualify for it.
Romans 10:9, 10 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
All you must do to receive this eternal “trophy,” an eternal life through a personal relationship with His son, Jesus Christ, is ask God.
Romans 10:13 “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you don’t already know Jesus in a personal way, He tells us He is waiting and available. God, Himself, desires a personal relationship with you through Jesus. Perhaps you now recognize your need to know Him.
YOU CAN RESPOND RIGHT NOW!
How do you answer the question “Do you know God?” If the answer is “no” or “I’m not sure,” but you would like to say enthusiastically, “YES!” then the Good News through Jesus Christ is that you CAN know Him!
Simply share the following prayer with God in your own words:
“God I Know I am a sinner and that I need You .I ask You to forgive me of my sins
and to give me freedom from eternal death. I believe Jesus died on the cross and
that He rose from the grave to forgive my sins and restore my relationship with You.
I now invite Jesus Christ into my life to be my Lord and Savior. I give You my life.
I want my life to count for You. Thank You, Jesus for saving me. Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer, or something similar, confessing your sins and asking Jesus to forgive your sins and to become Lord of your life, we rejoice with you! Or perhaps you were already able to say ”Yes, I do know God!” In either case, we want to leave this simple message. As hunters and fishermen, we desire to share our passions for outdoor activities with our children, family, friends and, sometimes, even strangers. In the same way, we would desire, as children of God, to introduce others to the Creator. Time spent outdoors, considering the wonders of an almighty God, sharing how God reveals Himself through His creation, is a good way to lead others to Him!
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