 Full Rut by bro Deer hunters across the country live for mid-November. They save vacation time, skip school, work, and a pile of other obligations to ensure that they can be in the woods when the rut is in full swing in mid-November. I personally have come to know the week before Thanksgiving as the “Deer Hunters Holy Week”. It’s the one week of the year when bucks go absolutely nuts! During this time, mature bucks will let their guard down and literally show up anywhere. These once ghost-like bucks that would never allow themselves to be seen in the light day, now show up in some of the most visible places. Last year, during this sacred week, I remember watching as mature bucks chased their ladies through our backyard, across four lanes of holiday traffic, and one chased his prize past an antique shop on Mainstreet! You truly never know where these guys will show up when they are in full rut. The lure of love has caused them to let their guard down. This is the time when they are the most vulnerable. This is the time that wise old bucks will die.  There was another wise old buck that got caught with his guard down. His name was David. He was a king and mighty warrior. But when he let his guard down, he fell hard.
2 Samuel 11:1 says, “In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.” The next couple verses go on to tell the dreaded story of how David allowed himself to be where he should have never been. When he should have “normally been out to war” he put himself in an unguarded moment. He was lured by love, and it ultimately led to the destroyed lives of many people. In a fleeting moment he went from a wise warrior king to an adulterer, murderer, and failure to his family. An unguarded strength easily becomes a doubled weakness. When we let our guard down, we become very vulnerable. It’s the time when satan loves to move in for the kill. Regardless of your circumstances today, be vigilant as you watch for the attack from the great deceiver. It will come when we least expect it. When we have our hearts, thoughts, and desires on other things, our guard is down, and it is so easy to fall.
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 Blood Trails by Brodie Swisher Just moments after making a lethal shot on a deer the other day, I found myself physically shaken. My right knee was knockin’ uncontrollably! I sat back down in my treestand in attempts of letting my nerves, and heart, settle down a bit. It was just another deer! Not the biggest buck I’d ever shot, nor the smallest. It was just another deer that had met my arrow….and nearly every part of my body was overwhelmed with adrenaline. And I guess that’s why I do it. For those intense encounters when it all comes together, and I’m left with almost more than my body can handle. Nearly as tough on the mind and body is the waiting game prior to searching out the bloodtrail. I often pull out the small Bible in my pack, a book, or shoot some messages out on my cell phone to help pass the time while I wait. But it never works. My mind is on one thing. Following that bloodtrail!  I’m continuously intrigued by the fact of how something so gruesome, the blood, the death, the finality, can bring so much excitement and passion to the hunter. It’s what we live for!
But you know, many years ago, there was a bloodtrail that followed a man that carried a cross. Much to the excitement of others, he was beaten beyond recognition and forced to drag a wooden cross toward a hill where he’d ultimately face death. I often think about that bloodtrail that was left behind by that man…a man named Jesus. It too must have been gory, graphic, and gruesome. Amazingly enough, I’m excited when at the end of that bloodtrail I find a slain lamb…the Savior of the world! The horrific death and finality of Jesus’ life on that cross ultimately brings life. His death and resurrection bring a new excitement and passion for the bloodtrail that paved the way. It’s truly what we live for! I hope with every bloodtrail you encounter, you think of Jesus. I pray that with every crimson arrow you place back in the quiver, you think of God’s Son that was sacrificed on the cross for you and me. “….and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7b |
Brodie SwisherBrodie Swisher is a World Champion game caller, accomplished speaker, a notable writer, a skilled hunter, and all around down to earth guy! His travels take him across the country as a well known public speaker in the arena of outdoor events such as wildgame dinners, banquests, archery classes, and filming. Above all Brodie Swisher loves Jesus and he can't wait to share his passion for Christ with those he meets. Archives
September 2013
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