Original Entry: October 7, 2008
McMinnville, OR
The fear
and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds
of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the
fish of the sea; they are giving into your hands. Genesis 9:2
Then God
said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over
the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the
earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26
Historically
my hunts consisted of me driving to my hunting area, parking my rig and walking
in the dark to my hunting spot. I cannot
tell you how many hundreds of mornings I have spent in the dark still of the
predawn waiting until I can see enough light through my binoculars to spot a
buck.
One such
hunt happened when I killed The Stag Buck after waiting in the pre-dawn
darkness for quite some time. I could hear the buck snorting less than 100
yards below me but the darkness covered him.
He could not see or hear me but his sense of smell told him a predator
was near. Fifteen minutes later, at
legal light, I took him with an 80 yard shot.
Sure, I
have a fear of what may loom in the unknown darkness but it also exhilarates
me. It is what makes me feel like a man. I will never forget those times of
fear while walking two miles into a hunting area during a torrential storm when
all I could see through my head lamp beam was the mist of panting breaths.
The fear
of wild predators diminished to almost nothing once the Scriptures reminded me
that, “the fear and dread of you will
fall upon all the beasts of the earth” (Genesis 9:2). Except in extreme cases a wild beast will
turn and run in fear from the terrifying scent of man.
Take a
walk on the wild side. Trust God at his
word. Pack into the remote wilderness,
walk in the dark. Fear nothing but God
himself. Man, you are made in the image and fear of your King! Do not let the
fear of the dark, wild beasts, or any other living thing hinder you from the
exciting life God wants you to enjoy!
