Have you wondered how some people seem to clearly see danger signs before they happen, while others seem to blindly travel right into danger’s funnel? Why is this? How can hunting whitetail deer help us with this?
If you’ve ever deer hunted, you know Whitetail Deer can clearly see danger signs better than any other planet in the world. They are so in tune with their surrounding environment, they almost have a 6th sense about detecting danger before it strikes. They pay attention to every small detail that is abnormal causing caution. We as hunters have to go above and beyond, taking drastic measures trying to fool deer to even get a glimpse of seeing one, let alone getting the opportunity to harvest one. From waking up way before the sun rises to eliminate all traces of human scent prior to even stepping foot into the woods.
Let’s Dig in.
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How the Hunter sets the traps.
You get out of the truck, the air is cold and the sky is dark. You can barely see the bed of your truck. The woods have a dark eerie sense about them. You attach your headlamp, turn it on and make your way into the woods.
In order to be successful, you must slip through the dark woods quietly and without leaving a trace that you’re even there. Making sure to be ever so careful not to make a noise alerting any of the woodland creatures. Being detected and your plan will be busted as you will be found out almost immediately.
As you slip through those eerie dark woods you get to your spot. The spot that you have studied and planned months before going on this hunt.
You have strategically noted all entry and exit points, paths of travel, food sources and bedding areas. Mapping out where you strategically need to be in order to harvest your biggest buck ever.
Thinking about everything and every possible outcome, you place doe pee baited scent strips exactly in the right place to draw in that buck. Doe urine to a buck is like candy on a stick for 3 years old. They just cannot help themselves.
Now that you’re in your perfect spot, all the traps are out you patiently wait for the buck to come out.
All that study and planning. All the hard work you put into harvesting that buck is about to pay off.
Your moment has arrived.
Just like you thought, that buck is coming down the path you chose heading right to you into your funneled trap.
Wait! What is he doing?
The buck stops in his tracks, lifts his nose and takes a big deep breath. He smelled something he doesn’t quite recognize. He is standing lifelessly still and takes an assessment of his surroundings. Cautious not to move the buck is as still as a statue. The only thing that is moving is the steam coming out of his nostrils as he patiently breathes waiting to see what is out of the normal.
And then it happens. Tail go standing straight up and you see that white flag ripping through the woods like an Indy car on a racetrack.
You got busted.
The cautious deer was able to discover his danger and flea just in time.
Pay Attention to the Warning Signs
We should strive to be more like the deer.
Cautiously paying attention to all of our surroundings and watching for bait that has been delivered to us.
As Christians, we should be aware of how sin can easily enter back into our lives by not watching the infiltration of our environment and our surroundings.
As before in the illustration, Satan is like the Hunter. Using the environment around us, in our situations on a daily basis, setting traps by knowing our movements better than we do, planning, studying us bringing danger into our lives.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: – 1 Peter 5:8 KJV
[Tweet “God has been warning mankind of these dangers since the dawn of creation.”]
The warning to Adam and Eve, not to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil. Eve ignored the warning as she was being deceived by Satan’s trap. He hunted, patiently waiting for his opportune moment to strike. She ate the fruit of the tree and then persuaded Adam to do the same. They’re not being cautious cost them everything.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21 KJV
Now I know what you are thinking, “man that is some hardcore stuff. I am not involved in any of that.”
You are correct, but small actions can lead to bigger actions.
When Everything Gets Out of Control
Let’s look at an example together.
Let’s say you are just a casual drinker. A glass of wine at dinner with your wife kind of drinker.
You have a rough day at work and some buddies invite you out for just a couple of drinks just to blow off some steam to relax.
You agree and everything is perfectly fine, you go home and get some rest.
Next Friday same thing happens. Boss is riding your case and same buddies invite you out to blow off steam to relax.
The habit starts to build.
Fast forward a few months and every time you have a bad day your correction becomes a few drinks.
Friday is here and your day could not have been worse, you head out with your “relaxing buddies” and this time you have a little too much to drink.
You notice this attractive woman has been laughing at your jokes all night and it is really making your “awful day” seem as though it never happened.
You go home, get into bed and get some rest.
You wake up the next morning thing, “Wow that was a pretty good night!” except nothing about your room looks the same.
As you clear the sleep from your eyes you realize that you are not in your room at all.
You look over and see the woman next to you is not your wife, but the woman from the bar who laughed at all your jokes.
As you scramble to collect your things and slip out without being detected.
Opening the front door and into the clear, you bumped into someone, as hot coffee spills everywhere.
The someone you bumped into is the woman’s jealous boyfriend who was bringing her coffee from her favorite coffee shop.
Just as surprised as you, he loses his mind in rage and begins to fight with you. As the fight ensues in the from the yard, neighbors are beginning to watch.
Wearing tired of fighting, you push the jealous boyfriend backward. He falls, hits his head on the concrete sidewalk and stops breathing.
After a few seconds, you go and check on him.
He is lifeless.
His face is the color of the sidewalk.
He is dead.
WOW.
I know this is a little extreme but just think of how that escalation happened. How it started with an innocent glass of wine at dinner with your wife to relax, but then turned into several of the extremes listed in Galatians 5.
Happen by coincidence? Maybe?
Or could it have been evil entering the scene to coax you? Persuade you, bait you, allure you in? Was it tracking your movements, patiently waiting to for its moment to strike? Just like Satan did with Eve in the Garden?
Maybe, maybe not?
Our behaviors, if not careful, can bring sorrow, pain, punishment, even death to ourselves or our loved ones.
Be the Superhero Your Kids Needs
But if you are cautious like the deer and see danger before it is too late, you can reap the benefits of a joyous life. “You Reap What You Sow.”
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such, there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. – Galatians 5:22-23 KJV
You can live a joyous life, full of good times and loved ones. You just need to make sure you do not fall into the predator’s traps. Satan is out for blood and is looking to devour those who are not staying alert to their surroundings.
6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. –Galatians 6:6-10 KJV
[Tweet “Remember as fathers, we are to be role models for our kids.”]
Your kids should look up to you with respect and will pattern there lives around the examples you set before them. The Good and the Bad.
Don’t believe me? Slip up and curse. They are quick to repeat a curse word.
Scream and yell in the car at traffic and you can receive the same effect.
My 5 years-old is quick to lose her patience when the car ahead of us doesn’t move as soon as the little turns green. Yes, that one is my fault.
Point is “THEY ARE ALWAYS PAYING ATTENTION TO YOU”.
Even when you think they are just watching cartoons on their tablets, they are listening like little sponges waiting for their opportunity to spill out your bad influences.
I know these are just little, “so what”s but what about the extremely bad scenarios that could happen if we are not careful.
Let’s use the example of the movie I Can Only Imagine.
Listed below is an excerpt from the movie’s website with a quick breakdown of how the song “I Can Only Imagine” came to be.
Although he found faith at a young age, life wasn’t easy for Bart. He leaned into an active imagination and his love of music as escapes from a troubled home life. As he grew older, Bart turned to football in hopes of somehow connecting with his abusive father. But a career-ending injury—combined with the vision of a teacher who saw unlimited potential—set Bart on a musical pathway.
Chasing a dream while running from broken relationships with his father and Shannon, his childhood sweetheart, Bart hits the road in an old, decrepit tour bus with his new band MercyMe—named for his grandmother’s favorite expression. With the guidance of a grizzled music-industry insider, the band begins a journey none of them could ever have imagined.
http://icanonlyimagine.com/themovie
If you have not seen this movie you should make it a priority. Really shows the magnitude of how our actions as fathers, truly shape our children’s lives and futures.
Bart’s father, a drinking man, was very short tempered causing him to be abusive to Bart and his mother mentally as well as physically.
If Bart’s father would have seen the traps prior to falling prey to them, their lives would have been completely different.
You can see the movie by clicking the image below.
I know God works in mysterious ways and all HIS Glory is in every action, but HE also wants the best for HIS Children as well.
[Tweet “See the problems on the horizon before they happen.”]
Conclusion
With the symbolism used toward the hunter, please I am not against hunting and hunters are evil.
I hunt and believe everyone should hunt at some point in their life. In fact, some of the greatest men in the Bible hunted. Hunting has fed many families over thousands of generations and still does to this day.
Just remember the next time you are in the woods hunting, watch the animal’s reactions when they sense danger and what they do next. They take notice of the situation and flee from it as fast as possible.
Do not allow yourself to fall into the traps laid by evil and all evil to determine the outcome of your life. Take a stand and begin to clearly see danger signs before they happen.
Be the Cautious Deer.
Ask yourself these three questions:
- Have you had a similar situation where something small resulted in changing your life?
- Are you making the right examples for your kids by watching for the dangerous traps?
- What area of your life are you needing God to show you that needs to be changed?
Let’s have a conversation!
Leave your comments below.
God Bless.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert, nor do I claim to be. I am just an average Christian, Husband and father who shares life experiences to entertain. Please seek professional help if you are in need of help.