Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
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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6 April 11
            Good morning, dear people.
            I’m having some difficulty trying to configure my address list to be hidden. I think I get it right…then it doesn’t work.  So I’m doing it again here the old way just to get it off and allow me to get on with other things.  I’ll keep working on that approach till I get it right.
            I did go to the mountain yesterday with Thano and Kaden.  Good time.  I’ll throw in one photo.
            Blessings on your day.
                        Love, Dad/Ray
 
6 April 2011
Proverbs 6
Focus: “Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!” Proverbs 6:3.
            I think we all know by personal experience what it is like to be impulsive with our words or choices, later to regret the foolishness of those words or choices.  And if you can’t identify with that kind of shame, you may be developing Alzheimer’s disease or just plain living with denial. Of course the main focus of the situation described in verses 1 through 5 has to do with something like impulsively co-signing on a loan for someone else or being conned into entering some binding agreement without giving thorough thought to it.  But the broader advice could go like this: BE VERY CAUTIOUS WITH ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S (real or potential) IRRESPONSIBILITIES and DON’T ALLOW PRIDE TO TRAP YOU IN THE CORNER OF REGRET.
            That which is so contrary to our natural bent is HUMILITY.  But that is exactly what is called for in the course of correcting mistakes and recovering from foolish choices.  It is additionally foolish to compound foolish choices with proud defenses of attempted justification.  That is a sure recipe for shame in the long run, so why not humbly accept shame in the short run and try to resolve the mistake early?—rather than allow it to grow and expand unrestrained into irresolvable eruption?
            The key to all this kind of human error is contained in the phrase HUMBLE YOURSELF.  It is always best to do it to yourself—rather than to give reason for others or circumstances to force it upon you.  Just know that, one way or another, HUMILITY WILL HAPPEN!
            Let’s review some blunt straight-forward advice from James.  “But he gives us more grace.  That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’  Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail.  Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:6-10).
 
“Pride is an admission of weakness; it secretly fears all competition and dreads all rivals.”  -  Fulton J. Sheen