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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15 April 11
Greetings, dear ones, on this fine rainy Friday!
Those early mornings and late nights took their toll and I am late catching up with my routines, business arrangements, and this devotional. Lunch is past…as well as an order for some t-shirts. Don’t tell anyone, but I also got in a little blissful 15-minute power nap…which is helping me muster the power to get this message launched. Now I need to get my head in gear in preparation for a seniors fellowship dinner this evening where I’m supposed to speak…since I’m such a great authority on being a senior. NOT!
Have fun. Be blessed. Being NON-blessed is definitely not fun.
Love, Dad/Ray
15 April 2011
Proverbs 15
Focus: “The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.” Proverbs 15:7.
I’d like to carry on with a little metaphor I used yesterday when I said, “Like painting their walls with a brush, he comes at it from one side, then the other, up and down and cross-hatching at angles, seeking to cover every square millimeter of their minds with this vital paint—THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD.” The FOCUS VERSE I’ve selected could relate—presenting the idea that rather than spreading this essential paint with a brush, you use your lips—which are the audio mechanisms that make audible the transmissions of the heart. Wow! Meaningful metaphors are all over the place! Did you notice—we just moved from the dynamics of applying paint to radio technology—all in illustration of important God-given psycho-spiritual laws.
Notice how the author of Proverbs laces together ideas that are in contrast, like WISE and FOOLS, with ideas that are closely related, like LIPS and HEARTS. While the physical function of LIPS are much different than the function of HEARTS, there is a clear deeper meaning going on here. Is this a new thought? Have you ever heard of anyone linking these two ideas together? Has anyone ever suggested that the mouth (lips) speaks what the heart (mind) dictates? Of course, you know the answer to those questions.
So it really is an appropriate question: WHAT ARE YOU SPREADING WITH YOUR LIPS? The wise person spreads THE FEAR OF THE LORD. Someone might take exception here and point out that the verse says KNOWLEDGE, not THE FEAR OF THE LORD. But we can refer back to the first law of life presented in the first chapter of Proverbs—“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). So if a person truly communicates true KNOWLEDGE, it’s an indication that they FEAR THE LORD. The FOOL, on the other hand, spreads another kind of stuff—another kind of paint—in some cases it’s akin to something you want to avoid stepping in, not to mention getting on your lips!
“Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind.” - Rudyard Kipling