Around these parts, deer hunting season is in full force. The woods are full of folks. Some are looking for a wall-hanger. Others are looking for a freezer-filler. Still others are first-timers, just looking for anything legal to shoot to get on the board.
It's great fun and I love to see this time of year come around. It is special for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the effect it has on the kids. See, prior to the season's full opening, we have an annual youth hunt. This affords young people between the ages of 6-15 a special opportunity to get out into the woods without the pressure of the big wave of more experienced hunters. And many of them take advantage of it.
It is so enjoyable to see their pictures and hear their stories. I enjoy reliving their successes with them, but for me, the best part is knowing that these young people have experienced God's creation in a very pure sense. They have truly "tasted and seen that the Lord is good!" (Psalm 34:8). They've spent good time with adults who love them. They've seen the real world that God has made as opposed to the virtual world of the game-makers. Many of them get to experience the reality of death as they see an animal's life come to an end. Many are able to make a contribution to the family by way of sustenance and literally get to taste the fruits of their labor. This makes them a producer in the family rather than merely a consumer and they love it. The benefits are tremendous!
In Genesis 10:8-9, we are introduced to an historical figure by the name of Nimrod. Scripture says about Nimrod that he was "a mighty hunter before the LORD." However, Nimrod did not employ his skills as a hunter/warrior to glorify God, but instead to glorify himself. You see, in Genesis 11:1-9, Nimrod used his abilities to try and build a "kingdom" for himself in spite of the fact that the people had been clearly instructed by God to "be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it” (Genesis 9:7). They were to spread out, but Nimrod and the people devised a different plan, their own plan. And God intervened, not allowing them to successfully complete their plan, though Scripture tells us that they were capable of it.
Our lesson from this is very simple...we don't want to raise Nimrods! Certainly, we would be proud for our sons to become mighty hunters/warriors. But what we want to avoid is neglecting to train our children or, even worse, training them to become Nimrods who employ their skills so as to forge their own path. You see, "their" path is not God's path. Though their devised path may seem logical and potentially even very successful, we know from the Word that, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death" (Proverbs 16:25). God forbid that we contribute to this in any way!
Instead, may our hearts yearn for our children to “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for [their] souls." (Jeremiah 6:16). This ancient path is precisely that, ancient. It isn't new. It is the old path that was designated from the beginning...from the Garden. And the ancient path is simple - 1) listen intently to the instruction of the Lord, 2) follow His instruction to the letter, and 3) walk with Him daily.
The ancient path ought to be our current path. Let's put ourselves and our kids on it. By God's grace, we will do it!
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