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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4 Mar 11
Greetings, special people.
A big day is already in the making. Becki left about 6am to be involved in a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) Conference near the Portland Airport. Thano and I will go up as well just after noon. We want to reconnect with one of the main doctors who is speaking there and who treated Thano in Colorado after his accident in 2001. I forget how to spell his name—Dr. Weintraub—a world-renown authority on head injury research, treatment, and therapy.
Before that, we need to get some urgent sawmill work done, etc., etc., etc.
HOLD ON, folks—you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Be blessed.
Love, Dad/Ray
4 March 2011
Proverbs 4
Focus: “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” Proverbs 4:13.
In order to underscore the importance of this idea, I’m going to exercise my crazy imagination. I’ve had a good deal of experience water skiing in my youthful past. It has always been most fun to press the envelope a bit and goof off—testing new antics and maneuvers—understanding that falling is a constant risk—and I’ve done some wild falling. But let’s add to the risk and make it real dangerous. Pretend that YOU are the skier and the ski boat driver tows you through a tributary of the Amazon that is full of hungry piranhas, crocodiles, and anacondas. I guess we could throw in some hungry sharks too. Suddenly that tow rope becomes your life line. It ceases to be sport and fun recreation—definitely not a good time to goof off! If you just take it real careful and HOLD ON, you’ll make it fine to the safe drop-off point. But if you get careless and fall or LET GO, well, you know what will happen. What are your chances of survival?
My imagination may be kind of crazy, but I don’t think I’m over-estimating the seriousness and importance of HOLDING ON to your faith in God and His Word as your only hope for success and survival in a world environment that is hostile to that faith.
It’s interesting to note how Solomon presents himself here as a father addressing his sons. “Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding” (Proverbs 4:1). Now let’s jump ahead a few centuries to where the Apostle Paul is giving fatherly advice to young Timothy. “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith (the tow rope) and a good conscience. Some have rejected these (or goofed off or LET GO) and so have shipwrecked their faith (a fatal water ski crash)” (1 Timothy 1:18-19).
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).
However we slice it, this is important! And it’s good advice. So HOLD ON!
“It takes courage to stand up and be counted, but it takes more courage to keep standing.”