My son went out with his hunting partner almost every morning and night last week, searching and calling for a bull elk. He finally got one just before dark on Friday night and managed to get the elk home in one piece, about 5 hours later. It was an atypical bull with 6 points on one side and 2 antlers on the other with 5 and 2 points. It was pretty impressive. All in all, they must have spent between 30 and 40 hours out there hunting down their trophy so he could shoot it with his bow.
And that is where my part comes in. I like to hunt, but I do not like to take the time to go out. However, when a dead game animal comes anywhere near our garage, I literally drop anything and everything else I have going on to hang it up, pull off the skin and wrap the mighty trophy in little plastic bags, safe and secure in the freezer until the packages are removed one by one and placed carefully on the charcoal grill.
So, as the story goes, my son got home really late Friday night – actually it was early Saturday morning – with a bull elk. I was anxious to get going right away in the morning and even more anxious because I let him sleep in a little bit longer than usual. He then backed the pickup into the garage and we finally started the process of skinning and quartering the elk. Notice, we only started the process. It was not too long before we took a break so that he could send a picture to his grandpas. After that picture was sent out, a couple friends at college came to mind and, of course, they had to know all about it. After that, another list of about 6 or 7 contacts were sent pictures and a couple more phone calls made. And then, while he was at it, another 15 pictures were sent out across America’s beloved cellular network. For a moment, it seemed like my son spent more time putting his bull elk on the bragging board than he spent hunting it down, but then I realized that the bragging board only amounted to a couple hours whereas the hunt was 30-40. But then again, shouldn’t we be proud of our accomplishments and take time to praise the accomplishments of others?
While thinking of my son’s bragging board and all the time he spent sending out pictures, I happened to think of how proud God is when another soul is saved by the blood of Jesus. Every time somebody comes to faith in Jesus Christ, God the Father stops everything to praise another testimony of His Son’s great accomplishment on the cross along with a name and face of another sinner that was lost, but now is found. What could bring God more joy than seeing the work of His beloved Son succeed again and welcoming another dear child safely home to heaven forever?
I know you have a lot to do today, but won’t you take some time to consider the work that Jesus did so that you could be on God’s bragging board? If you haven’t made it yet, ask Jesus to save you today and there will be rejoicing in heaven!
“Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10