Pray, Aim High, and Stay Focused

I heard an illustration by my pastor about a man and his family who were without food.  They searched their home for anything to eat but found nothing except an old rifle and three bullets.  At that moment the father determined that he would the use the rifle and ammunition to get food for his family that night.  So with the rifle and ammunition he ventured for the woods.

In the woods, the first thing the father saw was a squirrel.  He took aim and fired but missed.  Then he saw a rabbit.  Once again he aimed and fired but he missed the rabbit.  Now the father only had one bullet so he prayed, “Lord, I only have one bullet.  Please help me to bring food home to my family.”  The Lord’s response to him was, “Pray, aim, and stay focused.”

Shortly thereafter the man saw a turkey and a deer.  He chose to aim for the deer because it would provide more meat for his family.  As the man took aim he heard a noise near his feet.  He looked down and saw a snake that was ready to attack.  Fearing the snake, the man stopped aiming for the deer and set his aim on the snake.  Just when he was about to shoot the man heard the Lord say, “What did I tell you?”  Deciding to trust in the Lord the man prayed, aimed at the deer, and took his last shot.  Not only did he hit the deer but the same bullet ended up killing the turkey.  On top of that, the butt of the rifle fell and killed the snake.  Finally, to top it all off, the force of the blast from the last bullet pushed the father backwards into a lake causing fish to get caught in his pockets.

Pray, aim, and stay focused.  What would have happened if the father would have stayed focused on his troubles (in this case, the snake) instead of his goal (the deer)?  We can relate this story to life where the snake represents our troubles while the deer represents our goals.  Take a moment to think on your life.  What has happened when you’ve taken your eyes off of your goals or dreams and placed them on the hardships and difficulties faced to reach them?  Stop focusing on your troubles.  Instead pray to God to give you the strength to reach for (i.e. aim) and stay focused on them.

The final outcome may be beyond your expectations.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)