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 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14 March 2011
Proverbs 14
Focus: “He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.” Proverbs 14:21.
Let’s take a moment to review some of the qualities of life over which no one has any control at birth. Parentage (including race and skin color), gender, environment, general appearance, and general abilities are the ones that come to mind (reflections from a Bill Gothard Seminar). Think about it. While these unchangeables are beyond choosing, it’s ironic that they are the cause of more pride as well as shame than anything else in the human world.
Do these thoughts relate to our FOCUS VERSE? I think so. Isn’t pride or a sense of superiority in regard to these unselected factors most commonly at the heart of one person DESPISING another? And when a person becomes the victim of such derision, and is affected by it, isn’t shame and inferiority the likely result?
Based on the teaching of Jesus, a NEIGHBOR is virtually ANYONE. And He certainly made it clear that the second greatest requirement of the Word of God is on a par with the first—loving God and loving one’s NEIGHBOR. (Matthew 22:34-40)
However we process the idea, this statement strikes me as a serious warning. “He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.” Verse 31 of this chapter presents a similar idea: “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” So the right response to unintentional human need is spelled C-O-M-P-A-S-S-I-O-N.
“It is a comparison that makes men happy or miserable.”