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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9 Mar 11
Good morning, dear ones.
Well…we have another double here. Yesterday became so congested so fast that I was never able to get back to it. Two little grandkids came at 8am yesterday morning…and will be here till this afternoon. Even now, little Kaden is teasing me to go jogging. He thoroughly enjoys that morning routine excursion.
I better get moving.
Blessings. Love, Dad/Ray
9 March 2011
Proverbs 9
Focus: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10.
Even a person who does not have a well-developed faith (Bible-based theology) can participate in THE FEAR OF THE LORD as a beginning point for getting their life on course toward essential TRUTH. The FEAR that we have here is not a scared fear that causes one to run away and hide, but an attitude of respect and reverence that leads one to seek and draw near.
Allow me to lace into this the theme we grappled with previously—that of OBJECTIVE in relation with SUBJECTIVE. It makes sense to me to apply those ideas to this THEME VERSE as well. So I might reword the statement this way: “The reverential OBJECTIVE seeking and honoring of God (a HEART AFTER GOD) will be rewarded along that pathway by the medium of ongoing enlightened SUBJECTIVE confirmation.” But to disregard the LORD and not FEAR Him in this way is to open oneself to all kinds of whacked, confusing, cynical, and disjointed SUBJECTIVE experience.
Chapter 4 of Proverbs yields a poetic description of this principle of life that is worth rehearsing. “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness, they do not know what makes them stumble” (Proverbs 4:18-19). We’re talking about wonderful adventure for the seeker—and dismal depression on the part of the non-seeker.
I think David can give us a good practical demonstration of this vital version of THE FEAR OF THE LORD. Let’s sneak in on him while he is praying in Psalm 63. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water…Because your love is better than life, my lips will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands” (Psalm 63:1,3-4).
“Nothing can be loved or hated unless it is first known.” - Leonardo da Vinci