Outdoor Truths Ministries

06/02/2026

It’s All About Me - This lesson reminds us that God sometimes allows situations into our lives not to reveal our hearts to Him, but to reveal them to us. When God asks us to obey beyond what seems logical, comfortable, or financially wise, He is often performing a heart check—showing us whether our trust rests in His blessings or in Him alone. These moments are less about the circumstances and more about our faith, obedience, and where our true treasure lies.

This lesson reminds us that God sometimes allows situations into ou...

06/02/2026

Join me in the morning at 7:30 eastern time, 6:30 central, 5:30 mountain, for the Big Idea from my Outdoor Truths Article. Here's the link. I hope to see you soon. https://outdoortruths.org/tuesday-morning-study-zoom/

06/01/2026

Over the past few weeks, I have enjoyed some fishing trips with other people. I love to see others catch fish or have a successful hunt. I have had my share of those moments, so I don’t need to have everything about me. But there are times when I do make it about me. My next plans are to be dropped off at the river and to float down the river, and fish by myself from my kayak. Those hours alone produce so much more than what fish I may or may not catch. I also think about my Pinnacle bike rides. This article is a product of one of those trips, where it was just me, God, and few deer and turkeys. I never fail to get what I need from God when I make these trips. I believe God wants that as well. Let me say it this way. Sometimes it’s all about me. Not God. Not you. But me. Let me say it another way. Sometimes God makes things all about you. Sometimes it’s for something that He wants to give. And sometimes it’s for something He wants to check. Let me illustrate.
Some time ago I was contacted by someone who needed financial help from my church. The problem was, I was no longer pastoring a church. It would have been easy to move them on, but in my spirit (while I was riding my bike), God said to me, this needs to come from your ministry – that I am the pastor of Outdoor Truths Ministry. So, before I agreed, I gave God my bank account number to make sure He had the right person. Well, I didn’t, but the idea crossed my mind. But the thing that I remember most about this encounter with God, was that He also let me know that this thing I was supposed to do, was not about the person in need, but about me. He was saying to me that the person’s worthiness was none of my business. No vetting. No references. No follow ups. I was just to do what God asked me to do. So, thankfully I did. What I understood as God was leading me this way, was that He was doing a heart check. He was checking if my faith was still in God or had it moved to my ministry. Was I depending on the blessings or the One giving the blessings. On that day, I passed the test. But another one will come.
My friend, at times in your life, God is going to make it about you. You are going to want to analyze, compromise, and debate. You are going to crunch the numbers, and the numbers will be in your favor. The devil will then assure you that God would never ask you do something so irresponsible. But there will be a still small voice that will remind you that this thing that God is asking you to do, is only about you. Your obedience. Your faith. Your heart. But the truth is, just like my test, your test will not come so that God can find out where your heart is. He already knows. It will come so that you and I can find out where our heart really is. It will be right where our treasure is. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ~Jesus

Gary Miller
[email protected]
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05/26/2026

This lesson illustrates how God uses every piece of our lives—both the beautiful and the broken—to create something meaningful and comforting for others. Like a treasured quilt stitched together from worn and unrelated scraps, the experiences, wounds, memories, and seasons of our lives are all being woven together by God with purpose. What may seem insignificant or damaged to us is valuable in His hands, and nothing in our story is ever wasted.

This lesson illustrates how God uses every piece of our lives—both ...

05/25/2026

I have a favorite blanket. Don’t laugh. You probably do to. And if you don’t now, you once did. Deny it and I’ll just ask your momma, and she’ll show me picture after picture of you with your thumb in your mouth and your blanket over your shoulder. My own son was not only attached to a certain blanket, but he also had a favorite corner of the blanket. I can remember that blanket having to be restored several times and ultimately becoming a series of knots that simply held one piece to the other. My blanket is special for a few reasons. It’s only wide enough for me, it’s camo, it’s two layers of fleece, and my daughter made it for me. Just writing about it makes me want to stop what I’m doing and go get it.

If you think about it, blankets are prized possessions of many women today. Except this blanket is no longer in use. It is for safe-keeping and for remembering family and events. It is their mother’s or grandmother’s quilt. It was put together one piece at a time from swatches of clothing or fabric that had made its way to the rag pile. Part of a coat has been sewn to a strip of a worn-out shirt. The other side of that shirt is attached to the leftover seat of an old pair of blue jeans. A portion of a baseball jersey is attached to a sliver of your first pair of pajamas. Each piece seemingly no longer of any value on its own and seemingly without any connection to the other. And yet there it is, one whole tapestry, completely understood, and of immeasurable value. All from what was once falling-apart, worthless swatches of unconnected material. Except to the seamstress. Except to the one who was there for the first onesie and the first silky blanket. Except for the one who understood that each section was always a part of the whole, that there were no random events, and there were no worthless pieces.

God is taking every swatch of your life and sewing them together. What you see as worthless and worn-out, He sees as indispensable and ready for its best use. What you see as unconnected, God sees as vital to the whole. What you see as insignificant, He sees as essential in who He is making you to be. And what you see as a flaw, He sees as what will be someone’s favorite corner of your life. God has been there from the very beginning, and not one piece of your life will be wasted. Individually they may not make sense, but God is bigger than your pieces. He is not only making you into a quilt to be admired and remembered, but also into a blanket to be used to bring comfort and assurance to others.

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05/19/2026

This lesson reminds us that life rarely unfolds according to our original plans. Just as the hunter’s carefully crafted strategy was interrupted and redirected, God often works through unexpected changes, delays, and detours to lead us where we truly need to be. Success is not found in perfectly executed plans, but in trusting God’s direction when Plan A falls apart and being willing to follow Him into a better Plan B.

This lesson reminds us that life rarely unfolds according to our or...

05/18/2026

It was the last few days of the season, and this gobbler had outwitted me for days. He roosted in the same place nearly every night. Almost every morning he would let me know he was there. And in turn I would let him know I was there too, even though I would hide my true identity with a soft cluck, purr, or yelp. Because he was older, he never got out of character. After all, it was the hen’s obligation to come to where he was. Therefore, he never moved from his area. He would gobble on the roost, fly down, then gobble and strut until the hen joined him. This particular morning, I decided to push the envelope and get as close as possible, knowing that I might get too close and be seen either by him or a hen. I was hoping the new spring foliage would block my movement. It did. And there I sat, as close as I had ever set up to him before. He gobbled. I purred. Then another hen decided that she was not going to let me have any chance at her man. So, for the next several minutes, she made every sound a turkey can make. And every time she did, my tom would respond. I tried to compete, but I knew she would eventually fly down and go straight to him. Sure enough, down she came only about 50 yards in front of me and went directly to where he was waiting. My plan was thwarted again.
As I sat there, analyzing what just happened, I remembered that I knew where they were going. I knew where he was leading her. I switched to plan B. I knew the small farm road behind me would lead around a steep corner to where they would be. And sure enough, as I made the turn, I could see them just over a small rise. As the hen made her way up the hill to my right, the tom began to follow in full strut and pursuit. I raised my gun and dropped him about 40 yards away. Those are actually the kinds of hunts that are not only the most enjoyable, but also the most memorable.
When I think about it, most of my plans are of the B sort. Rarely do things happen as I originally plan. Rarely do situations and circumstances go as I predict. And people’s responses are not always what I expect. The truth is, life rarely follows plan A. Solomon put it this way. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Prov 16:9) What he is saying is this. It is good to make plans, but success is not in the plans. It’s in the direction that comes from God, which might come from plan B. And plan B with God will always be the most memorable – and the most successful.

Gary Miller
[email protected]

Stay updated on Outdoor Truths each week by subscribing at Outdoortruths.org