When hunting season arrives there are lots of people who are eager to get their deer. Some are hunters who hunt every year, and some have never been hunting before. But all of them collect their guns, ammunition and other equipment and set off in various groups, or by themselves, to go where deer are plentiful.
Central Maine has many deer and draws lots of hunters, but it is also a dangerous place to be during hunting season. Most hunters wear orange hats or vests. Our friends who live there braid orange ribbons into their horses’ manes and tails, tie orange bandannas around their dogs’ necks, and tie orange streamers on their fences around the fields where their animals are kept. These orange hats, ribbons, bandannas and streamers are protection. They clearly identify to hunters what is not a deer. Some inexperienced hunters think anything that moves is a deer, and they have very active trigger fingers. Horses and other animals without orange identification are sometimes shot. And even more serious, almost every year a person is mistaken for a deer and shot, and sometimes killed.
People who live in hunting areas know about the dangers when outside in wooded areas during hunting season. Wise people wear something orange and attach something orange on their animals, but there are always those who just don’t bother with that protection for themselves or their animals. Do you think they are unwise? The Bible calls them fools, because they are ignoring the advice, or counsel, to wear orange as protection: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that [pays attention] unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:1515The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. (Proverbs 12:15)).
Have you been warned of the danger of your sins and have you paid attention to God’s counsel? God warns us in the Bible that He will not permit one sin to enter heaven, so anyone who dies with his heart still stained with sin cannot go there. But God also has lovingly provided a Saviour, His Son Christ Jesus, who died on Calvary’s cross for you. His blood can cleanse your heart from every sin if you will accept Him as your Saviour. You only need to come to Him in prayer, admitting that you are a sinner and telling Him that you believe His death covers your sins. Here is His promise to you: “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee” (Isaiah 44:2222I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. (Isaiah 44:22)).
ML-11/14/1999