Gary Reeder
I got this from John Abraham, our Professional Hunter in
Wednesday, March 18, 2020, 13:06

Africa. It is a bit long but pretty much covers what is going on here today. Note, it is of a religious nature.

I took this picture on the Levuvhu River that borders Kruger Park close to Pafuri gate. Walking up close to an Elephant bull on foot you realize just how big these animals really are and how intimidating they can be when you are on foot ...you have a built in fear and sometimes the worst you can do is to turn and run...

Only by spending time with your fear will you learn its habits... only through experience will you learn how to identify little signs of danger and through that experience will you learn that sometimes it’s better to stand your ground and face what’s coming at you. As in my case, you have to be well prepared for what you are about to do... you have to have the correct knowledge on best weapons to use, the terrain, the wind, ability to correctly coach a client on shot placement and also the humility to realize that you got to that point not by yourself but with the help of others... Having complete trust in your tools and team...

We ended up letting this bull be, he was blissfully unaware of our presence and enjoying the fresh greenery. Walking back along the river towards the truck and some distance from the bull I looked back and took this picture... realizing that as big as that elephant is at roughly 7 tons... he actually is pretty small in the bigger picture of things... the surrounding terrain actually dwarfed it...

And so we face our fear on a daily basis. Sometimes we feel like we want to turn and run from it...sometimes we feel like we are being crushed by it... and sometimes we face it head on...alone or as a team... as believers, fortunately, we have our Bible. Our Bible is our weapon, it’s our guide, our experience and our knowledge… God, through His word, tells us that He is in control and that in everything through Him, our fears are small... that His Majesty, His Power, His Grace, His Blessings and His Forgiveness, like those towering mountains around that bull, dwarfs our fear and equips us to face every charge and challenge with calm, patience and power. 2 Timothy 1:7 says for “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind”.

The purpose of life is to live a life of Purpose. Patience isn’t the ability to wait, but rather how you act while you waiting... when you are down to nothing, know this, that God is up to something... Our faith in God doesn’t make things easier, but instead it makes things possible... our faith in Christ can move mountains but guard that your own doubts don’t create those very mountains. Life doesn’t get easier...it’s our faith that makes us stronger. If we fail to see the blessings that God gives us each day, we will fail to find the joy He is providing as well...

In our current world wide circumstances we have to remember God closed the lion’s mouth for Daniel, God parted the Red Sea for Moses, He gave Sarah a baby and He raised Lazarus from the dead. Nothing we will face today is out of His control... we must trust God. A scared world needs a fearless church... and the church is made up off people like you and me. Psalms 91:3 reads: “for He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease” ...The devil will whisper in your ear that you are not strong enough to withstand the storm... but today, through the blood of Jesus, you can whisper back in the devils ear that you ARE a child of GOD ALMIGHTY, a WARRIOR of JESUS CHRIST, and "I Am the storm….!"

Father, please protect us, please quiet our souls, and deliver us from sickness, disease and the enemy. Thank you Lord for everything You have done for me. Forgive me all my sins and be the Lord of my life. Create in me a clean heart and the right spirit within me, renew my mind. I love You and I need You. Please guide our leaders to have the right response to ALL that is going on in the world BUT GOD... Cover me with your precious Holy Blood, as well as my family, my friends and my life projects. Give me Your dream. Lord please bless and protect everyone who seeks You, needs You and believes in You.

Amen.