By Jason Cruise
Perhaps the most difficult thing for a veteran hunter to do when on an outfitted hunt is to submit his will fully to the leadership of a guide. There is something inside a man’s spirit, somewhere deep in his bones, that simply wars against submission. Hunters typically want to go it alone, but a guide knows the pitfalls and benefits of what, to you, is uncharted territory. He’s been there before, and knows what he’s doing, so your best bet for success is to follow his lead.
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Devotional Insights on Risk by Bear Grylls]
One of the most high-profile men in the Old Testament was a man named Saul. As a young man he became a king (1 Samuel 9), with free reign to choose his own advisors and make his own decisions. Saul had at his disposal a magnificent asset in the form of a prophet named Samuel. Samuel was a righteous man, and he had been down the road of leadership long ahead of Saul. All Saul had to do was to include Samuel in his inner circle, team up with him and consult him as a guide. Yet throughout the book of 1 Samuel we see Saul engage in a battle of wills with both Samuel and God.
Saul simply could not humble himself to the point of being coachable. Ultimately, his stubborn heart cost him everything, including his crown (1 Samuel 15), and what could have been a beautiful legacy.
The life lesson is simple: don’t guide the guide.
The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. —Proverbs 19:8
Think It Through
Even if you have surrounded yourself with men of God, are you actually letting their wisdom guide your life?
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The above article is excerpted from the NIV Outdoorsman Bible, Lost Camo Edition (Zondervan, 2019). Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan. Published by Zondervan. Used by permission of Zondervan. zondervan.com. All rights reserved.
The NIV Outdoorsman Bible, Lost Camo Edition is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.
BIO: Jason Cruise (@JasonLCruise) is executive editor of NIV Outdoorsman Bible, Lost Camo Edition (Zondervan, 2019), founder of MISSION, senior pastor at ClearView Baptist Church, an author, speaker, and video producer in the hunting industry. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. He lives in Tennessee with his wife, Michelle, and their sons, Cole and Tucker. Visit www.jasoncruise.com.
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The post NIV Outdoorsman Bible: Don’t Guide the Guide appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.
