Worship in the Woods

Twenty feet high in a tree stand waiting for day break. Quiet. Dark. Brilliant stars – diamonds on black velvet. A distant rooster crows. Shadows. Sun. Bright. Gentle breeze. The woods come alive. Birds. Squirrels. Chipmunks. Deer. My heart swells with excitement. I whisper “God, you are awesome! Look at what you created. It’s beautiful! Thank you Lord.” That’s the way it typically goes during morning hunts. It’s worship in the woods. I often think of Psalm 104 (read it from the New Living Translation when you get time). Yesterday, Dana and Bruce (two friends) let me hunt on their land. I went through a thicket with lots of saw-briars and thorns and I thought of this passage: Cursed is the ground because of you. … It will produce thorns and thistles for you … (Genesis 3.17-18). When I reached the ridge it opened up. Big oak trees with a lot of mast – acorns accumulating on the ground. Deer sign everywhere – trails, rubs, scraps, droppings. I sat on a high rock. A perfect stand – not built by human hands – overlooking a flat. A red squirrel came within three feet of me. He didn’t see me until he was right beside me. Surprise! He ran off. I smiled. Later, I saw a monster. I had heard about him but yesterday I saw him. He’s a big buck. He was 50 yards from me but I couldn’t get a shot. My blood pressure went up. My heart pounded. I prayed for him to come back but he didn’t. That’s why he’s so big. I love the woods for many reasons. Like Isaac, I have a taste for wild game (Genesis 25.26). Like David, I am in awe of God’s creative power (Psalm 19). The wilderness has always played an important role in God’s story. It was a home for the wondering patriarchs. It was the training ground of Moses and David. It was a testing ground for Jesus. It was John the Baptist’s pulpit. No wonder my mind turns to God when I’m hunting. When I look at the beauty of creation in the wild the natural response is worship.