The Divine Connection Between Your Passion and the Bible’s Truth

Posted on Apr 08, 2021 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Steve Chapman

Have you ever wondered why one person has a particular interest or hobby while the next has no interest in it at all? The fact that some people are “wired” to like to do a certain thing while others are not is clearly illustrated in the description of Isaac’s sons, Esau and Jacob, found in Genesis 25:27. The verse says:

“And the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. And Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents (NASB).”

The portrayal of these two sons gets my attention because I identify with Esau. The old bumper sticker that said, “I’d rather be hunting,” tells where I stand. Having dirt under my boots, taking in the smell of fresh air and engaging in the adventure of the fair chase rings my bell. Being stuck inside puts a damper on the ding.

The question I ask is why do people have likes and dislikes when it comes to the activities we prefer? Or to ask another way, why would our Maker create us that way? I think there is at least one good reason.

-God wants to use our interest as a classroom where we can learn about Him, His ways and how He wants us to live.

Drawing from my own experience as an avid hunter, I’ve discovered insights while outdoors that I may not have otherwise encountered—and in nearly all cases a Biblical truth was involved. Either I see something in the Scriptures that is illustrated in the outdoors or something I see in the wild has a connection to an insight in the Scriptures. Here are a couple of examples:

Be on the alert:

-There’s a warning in 1 Peter 5:8 that states, “…be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (NASB).” That stern admonition is made even stronger each time I watch a mature, whitetail buck during the whitetail deer mating season. Responding to his hormones, a buck will forsake his usual alertness and chase the girls with abandon. The bad news for the buck is, this behavior takes place during hunting season. Consequently, he makes himself very vulnerable to the hunter who’s intent is to turn the buck into backstrap. Fortunately for the deer, they deal with their “love crazed” nature only about five weeks out of the year. For male humans, it’s 365 days a year that we have to “be on the alert!”

A select arrow:

-While sitting in a deer stand with my compound bow in my lap, waiting for some action that hadn’t happened yet, I looked at the neon-green, plastic fletching on my arrow. On it I had written with a Sharpie, “#1.” It was an arrow that had received that high status on the practice range after several perfect flights to the target. Later, while reading the Book of Isaiah I came to chapter 49, verse 2. It says, “He has made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver.” The connection between my passion for the outdoors and my deep appreciation of God’s Word yielded a new determination to be a useful “select arrow” in God’s quiver.

You may not care for hunting and therefore wouldn’t see these truths in the light of the woods, but if you’re open to God using the thing He’s wired you to enjoy doing you can discover insights that are just as life-changing and character-building. From football to flower gardening, bicycling to biology, horses to hiking, the interests that can become a teaching tool in our Creator’s hands are innumerable.

What is your passion? Whatever it is, there are divine connections between it and the eternally valuable truths of the Scriptures waiting for your discovery.