Faith Afield

Stephen Scott

Description

Many men are attracted to outdoor sports because of the time it gives them alone in God's creation--time to rest, reflect, and refresh before returning to the everyday stresses of work, family life, finances, and more. Faith Afield is their guide to making this time in God's country last when they return home.This unique devotional, geared primarily toward men, uses illustrations and principles from hunting, shooting, and fishing sports, giving sportsmen new insights into truths from Scripture and challenging them in their walk with God. Each devotion leaves the outdoorsman with a specific life application on topics such as:•the importance of authentic living•putting on the whole armor of God•overcoming obstacles in life•the key to avoiding sexual temptations•focusing on that which is most importantThe perfect gift for the hunter, fisherman, or gun enthusiast, Faith Afield will challenge men as it brings them closer to God.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 15 août 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441242747
• Langue: English

Extrait

© 2013 by Stephen Scott
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-4274-7
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com .
Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture marked NASB is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org .
Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked NLT is taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked TLB is taken from The Living Bible , copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“ Faith Afield , written by Steve Scott, will be a great addition to the hunter’s daypack. Well-written and full of memorable stories and life-changing insights, the book will provide food for the spirit while you’re hunting for food for the table.”
Steve Chapman, author of A Look at Life from a Deer Stand
“Steve Scott is right on target with this timely devotional born from his experiences in the outdoors and his study in God’s Word. With the insight of a skilled marksman, his words hit the bull’s-eye of both head and heart.”
Jimmy Sites, producer/host of Spiritual Outdoor Adventures TV
“ Faith Afield is one of the best sportsman’s devotionals I’ve ever read. It is educational, inspiring, and a wonderful tribute to the God of the Holy Bible. It’s a must read because it will change your life.”
Charlie Alsheimer, Deer and Deer Hunting magazine
“Wow! What a great read. I found myself not just reading one chapter at a time but several. I also found myself wanting to share Faith Afield with everyone, whether they hunt or not, because this book hits the nail on the head with what living the Christian life is all about. Steve Scott has given great insight from his personal and intimate knowledge of being in the woods in pursuit of game. He expresses wonderful analogies between the passions a hunter/fisherman has for the outdoors and God’s lessons from his Word. I, for one, am a better person for having read Faith Afield .”
Will Primos, Primos Hunting
To the three generations of women in my life:
My mom, who always believed in me My wife, Barb, who is my constant encourager My daughters, Myah and Taryn, my greatest joy
Contents

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Endorsements
Dedication
1. Why I Hunt
2. Beautiful Places
3. The Crunching of Leaves
4. Aim Small, Miss Small
5. Trophies That Last
6. Staying Tethered
7. A God of Fair Chase
8. Shut Up and Listen
9. Family Favorites
10. Pulling the Trigger
11. The Right Action
12. When Seasons Close
13. The Pursuit
14. Hunting Is Good for Animals
15. New Recruits
16. Fingerprints of God
17. The Kick
18. Property Lines
19. The Miss
20. Shooting Doubles
21. Shooting Doubles
22. Hole in Your Waders
23. Beyond Fits and Starts
24. Rise, Kill, and Eat
25. Reality and Results
26. The Productivity of Rest
27. Three Rules and Two Commandments
28. Slightly Off Target
29. Faith in the Field
30. In Season and Out of Season
31. Rights and Responsibilities
32. Trigger Control
33. The Best of Stories
34. When the Weather Outside Is Frightful
35. When You Can’t Hunt Deer, Hunt Ducks
36. Stolen Stands
37. Great Anticipation
38. Flash in the Pan
39. Asking and Receiving
40. Decoys
41. Good Morning, God
42. The Retriever
43. An Empty Stringer
44. Trophy Hunting
45. Blending In
46. Follow Me
47. Death Makes Life Possible
48. The Maturation of a Hunter
49. To Whose Voice Are You Listening?
50. The Sweet Smell of Temptation
51. Seeing the Unseen
52. Good or Best
53. Catch and Release
54. Alone in the Field
55. The Front Sight
56. Beware of the Man-Eater
57. Elk Good, Wolves Good
58. GPS
59. Here Comes the Sun
60. The ThermaCELL
61. Ground Shrinkage
62. Lost
63. The Fly Fisherman’s Success
64. Fouling
65. Sighting In
66. Guns Should Be Shot
67. Our Ordered Steps
68. Keep the Wind in Your Face
69. If Stands Could Talk
70. Critical Factors for Survival
71. Deep and Wide
72. The Right Gear
73. Taking a Higher Road
74. Crossing Fences
75. Get in the Game
76. The Prodigal Beagle
77. Muscle Memory
78. Consult the Master!
79. The Contemplative Man’s Recreation
80. Optics
81. Camaraderie
82. Convictions
83. Pressing Deeper into the Unknown
84. Resurrection Buck
85. Watch What You Drink
86. Gobblers Are Impartial
87. The Hill
88. The Power of the Blood
89. Upland Bird Dog Debate
90. Faith Afield
Acknowledgments
Works Cited
About the Author
Back Ad
Back Cover
1 Why I Hunt

I believe hunters owe it to themselves to try to understand what it is that urges them out. To fail to examine the source of the hunting instinct is to fail to experience it fully.
Charles Fergus, The Upland Equation , 1995
It’s the night before opening day of deer season and I can’t sleep. I have been doing this for twenty-six years now and it’s always the same. My body is restless and my mind is filled with thoughts of what the morning will bring. Vivid memories of past hunts collide with the dreams of the next. Why does my heart pound with anticipation? What is it about this sport that fills me with so much excitement? Why can’t I sleep? What is it that moves me out the door and into the wild?
I hunt because my father was a hunter, as was his father before him. Our forefathers had to hunt for survival. I hunt because their blood flows through my veins. It’s who I am.
I hunt because I am drawn no, pulled into the great outdoors. I need to escape the confines of buildings and offices. I need to silence the noise with solitude.
I hunt because I love the pursuit and the challenge. The kill plays but a minor part. The kill is necessary, but as the philosopher José Ortega y Gasset said, “One kills in order to have hunted.”
I hunt because I love life. Only when you grapple with the reality of life and death can you fully appreciate life.
I hunt because it is in creation that I come face-to-face with the Creator. There I cannot deny him as I so easily can from within my man-made Babel. Everything in the outdoors declares his majesty.
I hunt because it is a privilege. It is a right (see Gen. 9:3). It is a blessing.
So why do you hunt? What urges you out into the field? Not only does God give you gifts and talents, he also gives you desires and passions. Not everyone is a hunter, but God has instilled in the heart of many people a great love of his outdoors and the desire to match wits with some of his finest creatures. If we do not pursue what God has wired us to do, we do him a dishonor. If you are a hunter, a fisherman, or an outdoor enthusiast, you have been entrusted with a great gift to use and enjoy.
I do not hunt for the joy of killing but for the joy of living, and for the inexpressible pleasure of mingling my life, however briefly, with that of a wild creature that I respect, admire, and value.
John Madson, Out Home , 1979
2 Beautiful Places

In the joy of hunting is intimately woven the love of the great outdoors. The beauty of woods, valleys, mountains, and skies feeds the soul of the sportsman where the quest of game only whets his appetite.
Dr. Saxon Pope, Hunting with the Bow and Arrow , 1923
Recently a friend of mine returned from a successful moose and caribou hunt in the Northwest Territory of Canada. He was 150 miles from the nearest village, accessible only by plane or helicopter. He was surrounded by millions of acres of untouched wilderness and mountains. While he claimed the photos did not begin to reveal the true splendor of this place, I was in awe of the beauty he captured through the lens of the camera. I felt as if I understood what Isaiah meant when he said, The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isa. 55:12).
Very few people will ever get a chance to visit a place as remote as this and experience its grandeur. Why would God create such a magnificent place and not locate it geographically where most would have access to its beauty? Like a most prized trophy, wouldn’t God want to display it in such a way that it could be admired by all? But would these places be as beautiful if they were commonplace? Would they be as special if they were easy to get to? Would they seem so spectacular if they were always available and easily shared by anyone? Probably not.
God created special places both physically and spiritually. We get to these spectacular places many times with much effort, and sometimes with pain and discomfort along the way. And once we get to these places, the reward, appreciation, and gratitude are all the sweeter. If God made all special places easily accessible, well, I guess they wouldn’t be special. They are reserved for those willing to make the investment necessary to get to them.
Don’t settle for the status quo. Don’t be content with