Insightful Musings on the Scripturesby
Ray Sparre, NU class of '67
Ray has a wealth of experience as a Husband, Father, Pastor, Missionary, and student of the Word. He believes and practices his faith where the rubber meets the road. You'll find his writings to be practical, insightful, and grounded in a truly Christ-centered world view.
Below are links to a printable daily Bible reading guide which Ray has followed, and an archive of all his daily devotional writings for 2010 and 2011.
| Daily Reading Guide | 2011 Devotion Archives | 2010 Devotion Archives |
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5 Feb 11
Good morning, dear people.
Lots to squeeze into this day too…kind of like squishing a 200 pounder into a size 10.
I assure you that Becki approved my composition below. There’s my little protective disclaimer.
Ready. Set. Go do it right!
Love, Dad/Ray
5 February 2011
Proverbs 5
Focus: “Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress?” Proverbs 5:20.
Good question. WHY indeed? Think about it.
If you are reading this chapter the way I am, you will have to agree that it is full of sex—the right kind and the wrong kind—that which is blessed by the Creator and that which is perverted by the Destroyer. Sure, there are a lot of emotions and hormones at play in this very real arena of life, and even some spiritual influences, but it still boils down to a matter of CHOICE. And the underlying choice is more general and foundational than any specific choices relative to sexual engagement. I might phrase the choice options this way: DO I WANT TO DO IT RIGHT, OR DO I WANT TO DO IT WRONG? DO I WANT TO BE BLESSED IN MY CHOICES, OR DO I WANT TO BE CURSED IN MY CHOICES—AT LEAST RISK BAD CONSEQUENCES? In other words, DO I WANT TO BE WISE, OR DO I WANT TO BE STUPID? It seems to me that this kind of personal interrogation is very important relative to sex in particular, but first and foremost relative to life in general.
OK, here’s Joe Blow who really blew it. Let’s ask him, “Joe, why in the world did you get tangled up with that woman when you have a wonderful wife?” Joe might respond, “Well, I don’t really know. I guess I just let my guard down—I was kind of lonely on that business trip to Orlando—she was friendly and incredibly beautiful in the dim romantic light of that restaurant—she seemed to be so attracted to me—she just made me feel so good and special—I guess I reasoned, ‘How can something that feels so good be so bad?’” Be assured, Joe has a deeper problem than a deviant sexual one.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE—GET IT STRAIGHT! AND GETTING IT STRAIGHT IS PRECISELY WHAT THIS COLLECTION OF PROVERBS IS ALL ABOUT. THAT’S WHY THE GREAT THEME IS WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, AND KNOWLEDGE. DUH! LEARNING TO LIVE ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU KNOW (knowing God, His Word, cause and effect, etc.) IS YOUR ONLY ESCAPE AND PROTECTION FROM LIVING ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU FEEL.
“What chance does a man have to control his destiny when he can’t (or won’t) control himself?”