Daily Devotional - God's Great Outdoors - Trail To Adventure

False Peaks

Dean Hulce — Tue, 05 May 2026 08:16:12 +0000

Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts

As elk season open in the Colorado mountains we were excited to see 4 legal bull elk high above us at about timberline. It was a 2,000 foot climb but from far away it looked like a straight shot to the summit. As we began our ascent we realized there were a few false peaks that obstruct your view of the actual summit on the last part of the ascent. What we thought would take 90 minutes ended up taking twice that long. When we got to the place where the elk had been the sun was shining brightly and the heat had driven them into the dark timber.

Elk hunting is often like that. Life has so many twists and turns that are often unseen and it's the same way.

When we persevere towards an objective, through hardship and obstacles it can be difficult to not get discouraged when we think we are close to the end, but realize we still have quite a ways to go.

This can happen in life, too!
You think you are close to a goal or close to the end of a stressful or a painful time of life, only to turn a corner and realize there is still some time left before you can consider this journey completed.

Maybe it's something you chose that is still challenging, llike marriage or business. Maybe it's something grief-filled like illness or loss.

God wants to be with you in those seasons, and wants to carry the burden of that disappointment with you. If we rely on Him, He will set our path and do all we need to reach a successful end.

Joel Raygor and Dean Hulce

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THREE LITTLE THINGS

Dean Hulce — Mon, 04 May 2026 08:10:28 +0000

James 1:19
"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry"

It was the first morning of the elk hunt and Jim and I had climbed straight up the mountain to try together into the herd of elk we had watched the night before. Soon after daylight we were close to a bull. We had the thermals right and he didn't know we were within 50 yards. He was feeding up the mountain away from us, offering no shot. I made one soft call to him and he looked toward us and then walked out of our lives forever. He didn't like something about what was said and we never heard or saw him again. The wrong thing said at the wrong time ruined a perfectly good hunt.

How often in life have we said something that we regret later? It may have been something that was perfectly innocent, but someone heard it and took it wrong and they turned and walked away, upset or hurt. This happens all too often and many relationships are destroyed by the wrong words and not listening carefully.

There are three instructions in James 1:19; be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry... seems simple enough. But how many of us live this out? How many of us really want to listen carefully to someone else's opinion before we give our own? If we watch the news and see when they have two guests with differing opinions, rarely does one get done with a sentence before the other jumps in over them in the conversation. Before long tempers are high and they are both angry. Why? Because both are talking, neither are listening and both have become angry.

The three instructions that James gave show up all too often when we do the opposite of what he suggests. When we're quick to speak, Small issues turn into BIG problems. When we're slow to listen we don't truly hear the other person and miscommunication turns into an argument. When we're quick to become angry, because of the miscommunication, we become bitter and our relationships are often destroyed.

There's a saying that says that we too often listen to respond instead of listening to understand. We start preparing our response when the other person is only half way through what they are saying. When we give our response the other person in the conversation is offended because you didn't listen to what they really said... and so it goes downhill quickly.

I've heard it said that, "God gave us two ears and only one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak". I would change that, I believe we should listen three times as much. If we just first listen with our ears (we just hear the words), then listen with our minds (think about what was said), then listen with our heart (allow God to give you the understanding of what was said). It's after this that we can give a godly response. If we stop that process at the ears or mind our response will be from our own thoughts and not those of God.

Learning to follow the three steps in James 1:19 is a tough thing to do. It means giving up our own selfish desires and allowing others to win sometimes. But as life goes on the blessings that come from those three short thoughts will change our lives.

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YOUR HAND OF BLESSING

Dean Hulce — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:30:20 +0000

YOUR HAND OF BLESSING
Joel Gaygor

Psalm 139:5
You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

A few days ago, after a successful morning in the timber, I took a few photos and then sat next to the big old longbeard Gobbler and thought about all the people who were instrumental in getting me to that very spot. There was my dad, but there were also a number of other men who years past had taken me on hunting adventures and encouraged my love of the hunt. I got thinking about other areas of my life and how God had brought the right people into my life at just the right time to bring me to where I am today.

God is famous for caring and preparing us for great things. He walks ahead of us to fight the battles we fear. He knows the road we will travel and He promises to lead us.

I can't help but think about Samuel who stopped and took time to remember how God had brought him through the battle and to that very spot. He proclaimed, "Thus far the LORD has helped us," establishing a permanent, tangible reminder of God's protection and faithfulness by placing a stone on that spot and naming it Ebenezer.

1 Samuel 7:12 "Thus far the LORD has helped us,"

Regardless of what you are dealing with, stop and take a moment to thank God for where you are and what He has brought you through.

Prayer: "Heavenly Father, Thank You for the people you have placed in my life for encouragement. Thank You for daily provisions and for bringing me to this very spot. Help me to be grateful for where I am and forgive me for the times I have doubted You. Thank You for Your amazing grace that cleanses me. Amen"

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Running Without The Light

Dean Hulce — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:00:17 +0000

Psalm 119:105

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

When I was younger, I would load up my family and head back to visit my kinfolk in eastern Kentucky on a very regular basis. Often, it was about every other weekend.

These weekend trips were common for people who were from Kentucky who now lived in the southeast Ohio region. I have a cousin there in Kentucky who was an avid coon hunter and always had some fine coon hounds. I always looked forward to potentially going hunting with him on these trips. Since I didn't do much coon hunting on my own, I really didn't have the proper equipment. This often meant I went into the woods at night without the proper clothes, boots, and most importantly a good coon light.

If you have ever been in the deep, dark woods at night without a light, you know exactly where I'm going with this. Whenever the dogs treed, we would often take out running through the woods to get to the treed coon. Believe me, running through the woods at night without any light can be very treacherous. I often stumbled, tripped, and fell many times and came out scratched, bumped, and bruised. All because I had no light to illuminate the snares and dangers.

Aren't you glad that we as Christians have a light to guide us through the dark times. Those times when we try to navigate on our own and we just wind up stumbling in the darkness and running right into danger and getting hurt. Psalms 119:105 emphasizes the importance of God's teachings in providing guidance and direction in our life. This verse tells us that God's word helps illuminate the right choices and paths in life. It also implies that following His word can protect us from dangers and missteps as well as provide clarity, helping believers navigate through life's challenges.

Don't charge into the darkness without a light! Get into God's word and use the "light" to lead you daily. Be steady in your prayer life and seek His guidance in all things. He will lead you and guide you on the lit path.

Psalm 19:8 "the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing in the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;"

Thank you Tim Jones

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MOVING FORWARD, TRUSTING GOD

Dean Hulce — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:00:16 +0000

Exodus 14:15-16
Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Its been a beautiful afternoon, sunny and warm. Then suddenly a cold wet wind blew up from the northwest. The bull elk were bugling in the basin just below us, but they were going to have to wait. It was about 10 miles back to camp and we got in the truck just as the downpour began.

We slid down the mountain from 11,000 to 8,000. The rain got more intense all the way down. As the storm intensified the clouds brought on darkness, an hour earlier than normal, we got in trouble when we couldn't make it up a small hill as liquid mud ran in our tracks. We slid backwards into the valley and when we stopped I look out my window and was staring over the edge of a 25 ft cliff. I was in a bad place there seemed to be no way out. We we're 7 miles from camp and it looked like we were spending a wet night under a tree.

I radioed to camp and let them know the situation. One of the other guides cut in and said that he could drive to the top of the hill about us and meet us there. What seemed like there was no way out of the dangerous situation, someone stepped in a did the seemingly impossible.

As the Israelites were traveling from Egypt they came against the Red Sea things seemed impossible. It looked like the Egyptian soldiers would either kill them or capture and return them back to Egypt to continue their slavery.

When all seemed hopeless the loving God stepped in and pulled them out of the situation. God did the same thing for the same people 40 years later when they came up against the Jordan.

What is it that you have come against today? What is it that seems impossible in your life? God has a plan that can bring you out of your situation and put you on the track that He has set before you. You have to be willing to move forward in order to be successful.

Exodus 14:13
And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
The Israelites had a choice; stay where they were or trust the Lord and move forward. We have the same choice; stay in our same hopeless situations or we can trust God and move forward.

The choice is ours.

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SURE COULD USE A LITTLE GOOD NEWS TODAY

Dean Hulce — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:30:29 +0000

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

My cell phone "dinged" and a message from my wife popped up with just "BBD". I knew that Linda was pickier than most everyone else out there and if she would send a message of "BBD" (meaning BIG BUCK DOWN) It was going to truly be a big buck... and it was and it was Good News

As a guide I work hard to get my hunters into a position to harvest the best animals they can. I do all that I can to make it happen. There are hunts where everything goes right and it is one joyful day after another.   But there are some hunts where nothing seems to go right. No matter how hard I try I can't produce the kind of results that I want. So a text of "BBD" is welcome and is good news. In life we all could use a little good news today.

Our news media makes their money by printing or televising sensational news. The headlines are meant to grab us and draw us in.   There was a time when we could trust the news that showed up on out TV or radio.

Today with AI we can't trust anything we see. We have to test and confirm everything we see. There is misleading and lies in print and AI has gone from almost cartoon like images to images that are so good we sometimes can't tell the truth from a lie. Bad news floods our media and we don't know if its true of not.

Each day we get news of new wars and ongoing wars that tell of deaths by the 100's... it's quite depressing. Can everything be as bad as it seems? Even what is supposed to be good news is not good. We are told some mornings that the war is about over and by after we're told that it might get worse before it gets better.

Ann Murray sang a song back in 1983 that sums up our world today. She sings of watching the news and reading the paper and getting nothing but bad news. She begs for something different and says, "We sure could use a little good news today". We're in that same boat now.

Amongst all the bad news, the fake news and the lies we need to realize that there truly is good news. John 3:16 tells us that God loves us through it all. He loves us enough that He was willing to send His own Son to die a miserable death to give us life. This is eternal good news.

This verse and hundreds more come from the writers John, Luke, Mark and Matthew. The four book of the Bible that they wrote are called the Gospel. Many don't know and others forget that these "Gospels" are literally the "Good News" of Jesus Christ. The word "Gospel" does literally mean "Good News".

There's an old saying that goes, "there's only two things for certain in life, death and taxes". We are all going to some day die. Our bodies will cease to life, there's no doubt. But because of the Good News of Jesus Christ in the Gospel, especially in John 3:16. We can go on living forever in heaven. How's that for Good News?

The bad news that is coming at us, day in and day out shouldn't get us down. We can have Good News... we have a Savior that can lift us above the depressing news. John 16:33 shows us that we need not worry about what is happening around us today.
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation (bad news), but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

There is great news amongst this world's mess. Trust Jesus, believe that Easter, that we just celebrated a couple weeks ago was what He did just for you. Make Him the Lord of your life. He has overcome this world and so will we, when we believe. That's the GOOD NEWS we need to hear today.

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ULTIMATE DECEPTION

Dean Hulce — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 08:34:30 +0000

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

A week ago in Texas, while turkey hunting, we used some camouflaged hunting blinds to conceal ourselves from the turkeys. We sat in the blinds and the turkeys had no idea we were there.

For some reason a bird that is very leery and spooky, is also often completely oblivious of a hunter laying it wait. A hunter is a master at camouflaging while laying in wait to harvest a gobbler. If you think about it, satan is the same.

While we have seasons for hunting we need to realize that Satan has no current restrictions on when he can attempt to deceive people. He and his demons are working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year trying to bring as many people as possible with him to hell. One of the names that he has been called is the "ultimate deceiver".

Being an ultimate deceiver defines Satan for what he truly is.... A lier. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and according to John 8:44 "the father of lies". From the very first time Satan appears in the Bible in Genesis 3, he proves this is true. The first words on his lips are planting the seeds of deceit. He asked, "Did God really say, You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?". And the second words spoken were an outright lie, "surely you will not die". In John 8:44 John writes that Satan "has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. We are dealing with the very essence of deception.

When we look around today and think to ourselves, "how can people be believing the lies being told"? We need to realize that those that are being deceived have no basis for the real truth. Remember, Satan is the god of this world right now and being the ultimate deceiver, he has people following him like kids after the ice cream truck on a hot July day. They are looking for something sweet and instantly gratifying... and when they get it they won't be satisfied so they keep coming back for more.

Even those seeking the real truth are susceptible to Satan's lies. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:13–15, "Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.

So, Satan has servants who profess enough that the church welcomes them in, and from inside they teach what Paul calls "doctrines of demons" Jesus says in Matthew, they will be like "wolves in sheep's clothing" . Acts 20:30 says they will not spare the flock, but will draw people away to destruction. Without God's gift of discernment, our own brothers and sisters will be drawn in and fooled into believing the lies.

Be careful because we know that Satan is on the hunt to deceive and destroy as many lives as possible. He knows that his time is short and he will take as many down as possible. Make no mistake, Satan is prowling looking for all those that he can devour. (1 Peter 5;8).

Be on high alert.

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False Teacher

Dean Hulce — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:28:25 +0000

Matthew 7:15: "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."

Shortly after the new year, my wife will resign herself to tolerating another three months of turkey calling in the house. Most of it is done with a mouth call, but I do practice with a pot call and a box call too. As callers go, I'm better than many, but I've listened to the boys at the NWTF Grand National Calling Championship, so I know what good calling sounds like. Fortunately for me, the only judges I need to impress are those spring gobblers, and every year I fool a few.

For me, calling is the fun of turkey hunting. I've ambushed a couple, walked up on a few, but the vast majority of those birds I've had to coax into gun range. It's a rush getting inside the head of a big old gobbler. If you can learn to do that, you can take em home.

As Christians, we are constantly receiving false messages too. Sometimes everything looks legit and sounds so good, but just like that gobbler, we can get fooled.

John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world"

This scripture directly addresses testing everything against the Word of God. It tells us to examine the teachings against what Scripture shows is true.

Thank you Joel Raygor

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SWIMMING UPSTREAM

Dean Hulce — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:24:51 +0000

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Fishing the Karluk River on Kodiak Island was amazing. I had one day where I had a pair of fishermen that were fly fishing and all day the fishing was so good that there was rarely a time when we didn't have a silver salmon on. The fish were coming upstream to spawn by the thousands. The only fish we saw coming downstream were dead ones, floating with the current.

Swimming upstream, against the current, Is the hardest way to go. But that is very much like what God has called us to do, as His people.

Our whole world is moving in one direction, morally and spiritually. They have one set of beliefs, one set of morals and one way of doing things; the way of the world. They believe that what everyone believes is the right way to do it; what we should all believe, and say, and do is the right way. But rarely does God want His people to do what everyone else is doing. He almost always wants us to "swim upstream," against the current, and do things differently, His way. Because it's only then that He gets glory from our life.

Like the salmon that were traveling with the current , those going along with the world and it's ungodly ways are all dead inside.

Be careful which way you're going in life. Swimming against the current is harder than floating downstream. But going upstream will make us stronger. Downstream brings death.

EPHESIANS 5:15-16

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Go against the flow.

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Keep Climbing!

Dean Hulce — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:30:27 +0000

Psalms 24:3
"Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?"

The very best archery elk hunting is at very peak of the rut, the breeding season. While it's when you want to be there... sometimes you hunt when you have the time to hunt.

Just before the rut the bull elk are in the "high country"... sometimes are elevations up to 14,000 feet. Its takes so much to get to the elk. Most of the early season elk are at or above Timberline and most hunters have never been up there. Often to be successful you need to climb up as high as possible.

Psalms 24:1 says, "Who will ascend into the hill of the Lord or who may stand in His holy place? Notice that this verse talks about the fact that life is an uphill climb. It is full of challenges and requires us to keep climbing even when times get hard. God promises to those who keep going that they will receive a mighty blessing.

Moses climbed Mount Sinai. He didn't climb it halfway. He went all the way to the top and God gave him the Ten Commandments once he got to the top. Elijah climbed Mount Carmel, he prayed, and the fire of God fell. It didn't happen down in the valley or part way up the mountain. It happened on the top of the mountain. You have to keep climbing to achieve God's best in your life. Peter, James, and John climbed the Mount of Transfiguration and because they went all the way, they saw God's glory on top of that mountain. They didn't just arrive there without effort, they had to climb. You won't just get to the top. You have to climb, and our journey is an uphill climb.

There are people that will give their all and do whatever has to be done to complete what they set out to do. There are others that give up right away and quit. There are others that will start out well, but sooner or later they decide they've gone far enough and make themselves comfortable.

The first group are the people who never stop going higher. They give their all to do all they feel called to do. We should aspire to be in this group.

All of life is a tough uphill climb, but the view up there is worth it. Keep climbing.

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Controlled Burn

Dean Hulce — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:30:06 +0000

Every spring a friend of mine intentionally burns a part of his 70 acre native prairie grass field. It's called a controlled burn. After the fire the burnt landscape is bare, black and ugly. However, in just days, new green grasses and plants start to emerge and by the end of summer this burnt field has more new growth then the unburned portion.

In Luke 12:49 when Jesus says, "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!"; the fire Jesus is talking about is transformative fire. The fire that Jesus brings is the fire that clears the forest of what needs to go and makes way for new life.

God's fire consumes impurities and sinful nature, allowing us to become holy. We read in 1 Peter 1:7: that when our faith is tested with fire, it refines our character to be more valuable than gold.

In 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 we read that fire is a test of our work. If the work is burned up, the person is saved but refined, allowing for new, enduring work.

Sometimes fire destroys and sometimes fire brings new life.

Today's prayer: "Heavenly Father, I come to You in surrender, offering every part of my past life. I leave behind what belongs to yesterday and turn my face towards tomorrow and Your new season. Thank You for making a path in the wilderness and bringing new growth from Your controlled burn. Amen"

Thank you Joel Raygor

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IT TAKES TEAM WORK

Dean Hulce — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:11:58 +0000

1 Corinthians 12:12-13
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[a] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

I was only about 12 years old and it was the first time "the guys" let me walk during a small drive. It wasn't a long walk, maybe a ½ mile but somehow I got turned around and I came out in the wrong place. I had messed up the drive. 15 years later I ran into an older gentleman in the same area and he told me that he had run into my dad that day, 15 years earlier, and the guys were looking for me. He told me that on that evening he killed the biggest buck of his life... where I was supposed to walk... but missed.

The art of hunting deer with slow quiet "drives" is about lost. There might be no better method of harvesting deer than a slow methodical push by people that know the land and know how to hunt together. I grew up hunting this way and actually took my first buck, a nice 7 point, with family hunting like this. I miss the planning and execution of this type of hunting. Each person played a part and when everyone did their job it was very successful. When just one person stepped out of the plan everything went bad and the chance of success was lowered drastically.

My dad loved to hunt this way as well. The last few years we hunted this way he was usually a "stander" on the pushes. As a driver, if you heard his gun go off, you knew there would be a deer on the other end of the drive. It's been quite a few years now and I miss the team work and camaraderie that this type of hunting required.

Years ago, one morning in church, someone said of the lady playing the piano, "I'm amazed at how your fingers work together to play that piano". It was true the special number she played was beautiful and seemingly flawless.

This same thing is true of God's family as well. When each of us plays our part, within the family, it will be a beautiful thing. If we each play the part that God has given us to play there is no better team. Not only will it be beautiful, it will be like a well executed deer drive, it will be productive.

Ephesians 4:11 tells us about some of the fingers that help make beautiful music together.

"So Christ himself gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers," (Ephesians 4:11)

When the entire family comes together and does the job that they were created for, there is nothing we can't accomplish. When just one part of the team doesn't do their job the entire team is affecte

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STEPPING OUT IN SERVICE

Dean Hulce — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:07:31 +0000

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

My job was to dig the worms on Fridays so we could fish on Saturdays.   We were fishing a stream in NE Wisconsin only know to us as Chemical Creek. My dad loved to fish there and he and my older brother Dave would go many Saturday morning ls when I was very young.

One Saturday morning dad said I was old enough to go along.   I filled two tin cans with fat angle worms Friday afternoon and I went to sleep that night anxiously awaiting the morning.   When we got out if the truck Dad told me to go with Dave further upstream and he and another one of my brothers would go downstream.

After Dave had a few brook trout in his wicker creel, he handed me the rod and asked if I wanted to try. He pointed to a spot where the water went under a log and explained where to drop the worm upstream 10 feet or so from the log. He showed me how to hold the rod in one hand and the line in the other, so I could set the hook when I felt a bite.

The very first time I tossed the line in, I felt a little tap. I set the hook and a bright colored brook trout cam splashing out of the water and I excitedly flipped up onto the bank. It's a time and experience I'll never forget. It set a passion in me for walking the creeks and fishing the beautiful brook trout of the Northwood.

My brother Dave instilled in me desires and knowledge for the outdoors. There were many other men that poured into me in my childhood and as a young adult. Men that took the time to explain things that, like my dad would do in the woods. They helped me walk in the right way. These men had busy lives, but they were willing to answer God's call to change my life.

Over and over again, we read about men and women in the Bible who did great things for God. Not just great men and women — but godly men and women.

Do you know what these men and women had in common? Each one of them had a big heart for God.

Nehemiah is one example of a great man living out his life in the service of God. Nehemiah felt called by God to leave his life of luxury in the palace and go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem... And he did just that.

I believe God is doing exactly the same thing in the hearts of His people today. And that includes you! He's stirring your heart to do something for His glory. He's calling you out to do something special in His kingdom.

God is calling you to step out of your comfort zone... to do the unusual things... to do the counter-cultural things... to make His kingdom great!

Now, please, don't misunderstand me. You don't have to be a pastor, a missionary, or a super-spiritual star or hero! You don't have to leave your job and change your profession.   God can and will use you right where He has you. All you have to do is have a heart for God... and a willingness to get out of your comfort zone. He's calling His people out? Will you answer?

This "calling out" comes with promises...

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

All we have to do is be willing to serve Him. How do we "acknowledge Him"? Trust that He is who He says He is. Then begin asking what path He wants you on. Spend time Jin prayer and Bible study looking for where He wants you.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Known that there is nothing that you and God together can not do. There is nothing too big for you, when God is leading.

Nehemiah, didn't know much about rebuilding walls, yet God used him to do just that. It was a work done for God's kingdom because God called and Nehemiah answered the call to serve. He stepped out and stepped up and God used him.

Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Step out of your comfort zone today. See what God can do through you.

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HE'S GOT A PLAN IN THE PAIN

Dean Hulce — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:03:02 +0000

Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

We had an afternoon to get to the place we wanted to be to try to catch some black tail buck out feeding on the side of a mountain. We had to be back before dark as we were headed out in a Dehaviland Beaver on floats and we couldn't land in the dark.

Flying out we saw several grizzly bears traveling in the mountains and along the rivers. It was a little scary to see that many bears, but we pushed on.

We were headed to Red Lake on the south end of Kodiak Island. From the lake we would climb on the NE end of the lake and glass for bucks. When we landed we were greeted by a mature grizzly in the water. We waited for him to leave the lake and climb up over the mountain above us and I headed up the mountain face to find a buck. I pushed hard as we were racing the sunset. My legs and lungs burned and my clothes soaked with sweat as I tried to get high up the mountain.

Near the top of the mountain I came to a alder thicket and I felt the wind switch and blow on the back of my neck right towards the thicket. Just then a trophy buck busted out of the alders and made a run for up the mountain. I got my rifle up, and thanks to my dad's training on shooting moving targets, I dropped him before he got out of sight.

I climbed up to the buck and sat down next to him. I was sweaty, sore, exhausted and out of breath... but when I turned and looked to the west I could see all the way to the Alaskan Peninsula. I was glad I got the buck... but the view would have been worth the tough climb on its own.

Charles H. Spurgeon once said...
"The Lord's mercy often rides to the door of our heart upon the black horse of affliction."

If you think about the verse above for a moment and then consider what Surgeon said, so much more of life makes sense. There are so many times that God allows things, painful things, to happen in our life that really change us and show us God's mercy and love. Each painful adventure is growing us into what God wants us to be. The hard ride is the predecessor to the beautiful view at the end of the trail.

Recently I was talking to a friend about a terrible situation that has been going on in his life for 10 long years. He has been tormented by someone to the point where it would break most people. I said to him, "I can't comprehend the purpose of all this is... Why God has allowed it to happen to you and your family.". His response was simple and delivered with a small smile, " I know what it is, it saved my life. I was slowly moving away from the Lord and this brought my heart back to Him."

He knew that what he was going through was a refining process that had brought him into line with God's will. Oh that we would all have that faith.

The next time we are in adversity, instead of crying out, "why am I being attacked?" Try instead to ask, what is God having me grow into? What beauty is at the end of this painful ride I'm on?

Consider the beautiful butterfly that came from the "death" of the caterpillar. God brings us through times of difficulty to make something beautiful of our lives. It's also a reflection of what Christ went through in His death and resurrection for us. God will stand by us as He refines us. Stand firm and know that nothing is out of God's control and the trials you are facing today lead to a beautiful place soon.

Deuteronomy 31:8.
And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."

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MEETING THEM AT THEIR PASSION

Dean Hulce — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:30:24 +0000

MATTHEW 4:19
And He said unto them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Every year about this time the walleyes come up the local rivers to spawn. Around Michigan and Wisconsin fisherman gather at the places where the fish stack up in huge schools preparing for the right time to drop their eggs.

The Saginaw River, Detroit River snd the Menominee River are all places where this annual occurrence happens. Fisherman know that going to these places will produce successful harvest.

Walleye fisherman would make great evangelists if that was their calling. They know not only the places to find what they're after, but also what things to use to make a successful harvest.

In Matthew chapter 28 Jesus tells His disciples to "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations". When we're told to "go", we must consider where the best places to go. Like the walleye fisherman, we need to know where to find where the people that need Jesus are. Find out what their passion is and the ln speak into their language.

To reach a fisherman go to where the fisherman are and speak to them connected to their passion. For hunters bring the message of Christ in terms that are easy for a hunter to grasp. What ever a person's passion is, is the best place to meet them, build a relationship with them and share the goodness of a savior.

Go out and become a "Fishers of men."

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KEEP YOUR SHIELD UP

Dean Hulce — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:30:15 +0000

Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift all of you (disciples/followers) as wheat”.

The enemy was asking to violently test their faith. Jesus stood between the enemy and those who had committed to follow Him, and He prayed Peter’s faith would not fail, and that he would be able to strengthen his brothers.

It was a beautiful October afternoon. I was in one of my tree stands on one of my favorite farms to bow hunt. The colors were brilliant in the afternoon sun. I just felt blessed to be there, enjoying the genius of God’s handiwork. Off to my left, I saw a squirrel really acting up; not noisy, just jumping around, acting agitated and anxious. As I watched, a hawk swooped in front of me and attempted to snatch the squirrel in its talons. The show was incredible over the next few minutes. The hawk would spread its wings and hop around the tree or up on its trunk. The squirrel merely moved at each attempt of the hawk to keep the tree as a shield between them. Eventually, the hawk gave up and, I suppose in hawkish frustration, flew off. The squirrel moved on as well, leaving me to ponder what I had just witnessed.

Hebrews 7:25 came to mind: “….He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

How many times has Jesus’ intercession for me been like that tree for the squirrel? To know that the Creator of all things prays for my faith not to fail, and to be able to strengthen my brothers, is humbling, yet comforting.

How are you doing with keeping the shield of Christ between you and the enemy who would delight to sift you as wheat?

Today’s devotional is presented by Gary Archer, friend of God’s Great Outdoors

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Muy Grande

Dean Hulce — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:30:06 +0000

Psalm 86:13

For Your graciousness toward me is great,

And You have saved my soul from the depths of Sheol

As a very young man I remember reading about a special deer hunting competition in deep south Texas. I dreamt of hunting the area and being at the measuring activities during the hunting season. Bucks from all over South Texas come to the small town of Freer, Texas to a restaurant, gas station, convenience store, feed store and gift shop to enter their bucks in the Muy Grande Big Buck competition.

The last few years I’ve stopped into the Muy Grande store and looked around. This year I was so blessed to do an interview with the owners along with the pastor (and his wife) of the Muy Grande Ministries.

Each year, for the last 62 years, the Muy Grande staff measure 100’s of deer antlers. Bucks are scored for several different categories, and the best score wins the prize.

In the Spanish translation of the Bible we can find the words Muy Grande in Psalms 86:13. In this chapter David finds himself in need of God’s help as he is under attack by many men seeking to kill him. David’s words to God declare that His “graciousness is Great” (Muy Grande”

David also said that even if he were to die in this situation that he is sure that God will save him after his death. You and can rest assured that God is not only good… He is always Great, and He will always protect us when we are working in His service. We need not worry if we are His child. We know that if we were to have our life taken, He will still raise us from the grave like He did with His Son.

We can always count on Him, His love is Muy Grande

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Tried By Fire

Dean Hulce — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:30:10 +0000

1Peter 1:6-7
"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith may result in praise and glory."

Several years ago, I tried my hand at making some custom, homemade knives. I had access to some flat steel stock and handle material. I had accumulated a good amount of whitetail deer antlers that could easily be transformed into beautiful knife handles.

The blades were cut into rough shape and then ground to a finished state. They could then be polished and sharpened and attached to the handle. Not being a seasoned knife maker, my first attempts were crude and amateurish. There was one step that I failed to do during the process which was not tempering the blade. Tempering steel is the process of heating the steel to extremely high temperature and then quenching the steel to harden it. Raw carbon steel is very soft and requires high heat tempering to be useful as a tool. Without tempering, my knife blades would dull easily and be subject to damage during use. Not good qualities for an effective, useful tool. Benefits of tempered steel include reduced brittleness, increased toughness, enhanced wear resistance, and stabilized metal structure.

This concept of being tempered is true in the life of a Christian. We are not promised a life here on earth of comfort and ease. Many things will come into our life that put stress on us. In John 16:33, Jesus told his disciples; "These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Often times we go through tests, trials, and temptations that are meant to benefit us and make our faith in Jesus stronger. James 1:2-4 tells us to "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."

These tests of our faith lead to spiritual growth that develops perseverance and deepens our faith. If you are going through the fire of trials and tribulations, remember that God can use it to make you stronger, more mature in the faith, and draw you closer to Him. In our times of weakness, if we rely on the promises of God, it is then we are at our strongest.

Thank you Tim Jones, Chairman of the Board GGO

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OUR MOST IMPORTANT DAY

Dean Hulce — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:30:33 +0000

Psalm 91:11
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

43 years ago I sat in a hospital room waiting. It was an exciting time. There was a lot of hustle and bustle in and out of the room, giving updates and information. Finally our first son arrived. What joy and celebration. Our first child had arrived (and our second 3 years later) and at the time it seemed like the most important days in their lives... and it was until the following day.

Our birth is often considered the most important day in our lives. While it's pretty important on that day each day after that should become the most important day. Each day that we move into should become that most important day.

For those that have had a rebirth into the family of God, we might think that the day that we accepted Christ and were born again is going to carry as the most important day in our life. But even that day should only be considered our most important day for a short time. We have living to do, beyond that day and loving of others with the love of Christ

In Francis Schaeffer's book, "True Spirituality", he wrote this...
"In one way, the new birth is the most important thing in our spiritual lives, because we are not Christians until we have come this way. In another way, however, after one has become a Christian, it must be minimized, in that we should not always have our minds only on our new birth. The important thing after being born spiritually is to live."

Yes, we should be grateful for our past and God's gift on that day. We look forward expectantly to the bright future ahead with Christ. But our present walk with Christ, right now, is the most important moment in our lives.

All of the following verses speak in the present tense. This means that each day gives us new direction through God's word that is fresh and new for today.

Romans 14:17 says, "The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

1 John 1:7 reaffirms this emphasis on the present—true spirituality is concerned with walking in the light "as He is in the light, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin."

We need to refocus today (and every day) on our present walk with Christ. If your fellowship with the Lord is broken, let 1 John 1:1&9 light the path. It says, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Each and every day is the most important day of our lives... we need to live them out like that.

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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Dean Hulce — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:30:18 +0000

Ephesians 5:1
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
.
A few weeks ago Linda and I were in Texas, recording podcasts and meeting with ministries and churches. While we were there we spent time hanging around a lot of Texans. If you've ever been there, you know that Texans have a very distinct accent in their voice. I love the accent.

Over one weekend we went to far South Texas to guide friends on a turkey hunt. Many of the people we worked with on the ranch, where we were hunting, were born and raised in far South Texas and their ancestors came from parts of Mexico. While in South Texas I often had to listen while staring at the speakers mouth of attempt to understand what they were saying.

One thing that amazed me was that within a couple of days I began to sound very similar to those I was spending time with. I also noticed that Linda began to sound like a true Texan as well.

It should be obvious to us that the more we spend time with people, the more we become like them. The same is true when we spend more time with God.

When we get up in the morning if we start the day with a conversation with Him we begin more and more like Him. If we spend time in prayer we begin thinking like Him. If we spend time in His word, we sound more and more like Him. His words become our words and His heart becomes our heart

Acts 4:13-14
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

Become more like Him

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