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.
| Sparre Home Page | Daily Reading Guide | 2011 Devotion Archives | 2010 Devotion Archives |
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1 June 11
Greetings in the morning, dear special people.
I wonder if it has been a good thing to have these little grandkids here in ways that I don’t necessarily enjoy…but are beneficial. The benefit is that I think I may be getting a little better at gleaning inspiration and staying focused amidst havoc, noise, and interference. I normally require quiet solitude. Fat chance—once a little one wakes up.
Once again, it’s raining and the creek is running with muddy murk. I confess that I’m getting weary of having to run my equipment around the sawmill in so much mud. We’re creating mud holes…and their getting deeper. But this weekend they are predicting 80 degrees and clear.
Have a great day. Love, Dad/Ray
1 June 2011
Psalm 30
Focus: “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.” Psalm 30:1-2.
When I read these last two verses of Psalm 30, it was spontaneous to begin singing that chorus that is taken from Isaiah 61:3. I’m sure David would like that chorus. Sing it with me.
He gave me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That we might be trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD,
That He might be glorified.
The GOOD NEWS of the Gospel is better than we can comprehend. It’s a facet of this GOOD NEWS that was overwhelming David with inspiration in this Psalm. And the phrase “good news” is actually used in the first of Isaiah 61. We’ve already sung the essence of verse 3, now I’ll cite the first two verses: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn…”
Yesterday was garbage pick-up day—Tuesday. What if we had some beyond-belief arrangement with the collection company so that when we put out the trash, they would monitor everything in the bin, then send another truck out to our place to deliver all brand new replacement stuff in exchange for the trash? Where in the world could you find a deal like that?! But think of it—that is essentially what God is offering in the form of the Gospel—GOOD NEWS. David is rejoicing over the wonder of this almost-beyond-belief offer. As David surrenders his wailing, God gives him something to dance about—when he turns over to the LORD the sackcloth of his disappointments and sorrows, He replaces it with joy that breaks forth in song. Wow!
One of the great objectives of this exchange, in the words of David, is “that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.” Let me ask—can you imagine a believer who comprehends the dynamic and marvel of the Gospel who is sour or silent? That is simply not possible.
“Happiness consists of activity. It’s a running stream, not a stagnant pool.”