Original: December 5, 2007
McMinnville, Or
2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. Galatians 2:2
16 as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Philippians 2:16
My greatest fear when trekking through the wilderness is an attack by a wild animal. Thus far I have successfully evaded several rattlesnake strikes, two accidental encounters with yellow jacket hives, a potential Mountain Lion attack, not to mention numerous horse issues, which is another story. I spotted the only mountain lion I have ever seen in the wild on a Blacktail hunt with my cousin Darby and a high school student named Trevor Jenison. I spotted the Puma creeping towards me at 300 yards but the cat froze when he knew I had spotted him. Without going into details let’s just say a loud noise spooked the cat and it disappeared over a near ridge where it proceeded to howl the most horrible scream you could imagine all night long.
Because of the extreme 100 degree heat during the day, we did not want to haul in heavy gear and tents so we slept in light sleeping bags, and Darby actually slept in a used deer bag!
The cat screamed at us all night long. I know this because I ever slept!
In 2001 Jeff Borges, Dennis Spiller and I were in one tent camping at 9500 feet elevation in Wyoming when we heard grunting and snorting around our tent. Knowing that we were in “Grizzly Country”, we lay silent in our tent quietly discussing what to do as if the tent could protect us and like the bear couldn’t hear us! Being the smart Californians we were we decided to slowly unzip the tent to see what it was.
Thankfully I was in the middle!
Pulling down the zipper and opening the door revealed the horrific head of one of our untied horses curiously looking in!
Men do not want to admit their deepest fears? One reason some men refuse to journey into the wilderness with nothing but a backpack is a fear of a wild animal attacking them. Being a guy who often snores, I have come to accept that my sleep noises are a beacon that says, “Big Man Buffet” to any hungry animal! I have also come to the freeing belief that God has given mankind authority and dominion over the wild. With God’s sovereign blanket I sleep well (Genesis 1:26-28).
My greatest fear in life, however, is not a potential attack from a wild animal but that I would squander my time on earth. To live and die without becoming the man God desires for me would be the greatest of all tragedies. Oh, how I fear dying with potential!
My soul longs to hear the words of Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness” (Matthew 25: 23)!
What a tragedy it would be for a man to end this ride only to discover that he was in the wrong car. How horrible it would be to climb up the mountain of God only to find it is the wrong mountain. How unbearable it would be to live an entire life according to God’s will only to find it was the wrong will, or worse, the wrong God. Maybe that is why Paul admonished us to “work at your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).
A man must run this race according to God’s Word (Psalm 119:10 and104-105). He must walk the path of life in the footsteps of God’s whisper (Galatians 5:22-23). He must enter the doorway of eternity through Jesus Christ alone.
