He Was the First To Do It

Bible Study Verse

I Corinthians 15:22-23

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (NIV)

Thoughts

There is just something about firsts – first place, first in the class, first string – these are the best. I remember my first deer hunt in 1968 as if it were yesterday. I’m 73 now. I went to the rifle range for weeks prior to the hunt to practice. I must have put a thousand rounds through that old open site 30/30 that I still have but now has a scope.

The day of the hunt came, and I was up at 4:00 am. ready to go. At daylight, I worked my way through the woods and climbed into an oak tree that had a wood platform in the three-limb fork with no chair or cushion. Later the deer crossed in front of me at about 75 yards, and I can remember raising my rifle and coaching myself – take in a breath, let some out, now hold, aim and squeeze. The small doe dropped to the ground; and I can remember, as I was walking up to her and kept circling her, saying, “I did it! I did it!” You would have thought I shot a 10-point trophy buck.

Action Point

Jesus did something especially important for us, and He was the first to do it – to be resurrected after death. Sit and ponder these things. He gave His life willingly, allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross, and suffered enormously for us.

Now think about this: my sins, your sins, are what nailed Him there. It’s hard to imagine that, after all that, He came back to life for us and now wants us to follow Him. He wants us to follow Him; first in our daily lives in obedience, so that we can then follow Him to Heaven, and ultimately be with Him for eternity. How awesome is that!

What a gift; and all He asks of us is that we believe and keep Him FIRST in our lives. That truly is a life-changing first! Remember that His work on the cross was not a tragedy, it was an awesome accomplishment for us. With that in mind, spend the first part of your day, every day, with Him. It’s a small amount of time with huge rewards.

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day

When getting a young hunter ready for their first hunt, think about setting up some life-size, cut-out targets for shooting practice; and if possible, set them up in real life situations. It helps add reality to the practice and takes away some of the first-time jitters.