Original: October 7, 2007
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4
Aldo Leupold once said, “A trophy is measured in effort not inches.” I agree!
I just returned home from my Murderers Creek Wilderness backpack hunting trip (Original: October 7, 2007), overcame many fears, stayed in the Oregon wilderness five days and four nights and was able to take a trophy (in effort) mule deer. Not only was it a huge adventure but a victory on a personal level as the high school senior I took (who had never backpacked) and myself survived a severe wind storm sandwiched between two snow storms while staying in one man bivouac tents under an obscure conifer grove at 7,800 feet, cutting our wood and siphoning water through my camel pack tube from of a football-sized spring that was about two inches deep.
Get the picture?
The biggest obstacle in the wilderness, however, was not the water and it was not the weather, or even the fear, but the ability to sustain physical, emotional, and mental strength through it all. Getting to the camp is only half the battle because the hunt begins at the top. I found that it was difficult to discover the balance of seeking wilderness bucks while maintaining enough mental , emotional and physical strength to do so day after grueling day.
As I have mentioned before, the propensity of a man’s strength is to diminish over time. More than this fact, the more aggressively a man seeks after "stuff" the faster our strength seems to diminish. Maybe this is why the American man is always battling fatigue. Maybe he is running his race too fast. Maybe he is running in the wrong direction altogether. We pursue selfish dreams that do not satisfy and material wealth that does not endure the test of time. Both of these diminish the strength that God has given us to serve and pursue Him.
Are men hunting the wrong things?
“…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on (Gr: Dioko- to pursue as in game) toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
The secret in the wilderness is to discover ways to maintain or even increase the strength of the hunt by consuming nutrients, staying hydrated, getting enough rest, and staying warm and dry. In life as on the mountain there are certain things a man must do in order to increase his strength.
What is the secret? “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (Psalm 105:4)
It takes resolve, power, and strength for the man who is sold out and devoted to Jesus. Weak in the flesh, small by human standards, and fragile in social circles God regularly pours His strength, power, and confidence into those who truly seek Him (Matthew 6:33).
“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (2 Chronicles 16:9, italics added)
Nothing more, nothing less.
