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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30 June 11
Good afternoon, special ones.
Well…the Owing’s rental truck is loaded and parked outside. I’ll drive it on up to Leavenworth tomorrow with Becki following in the car (or maybe our pickup. It’ll be kind of fun see that beautiful country again. I remember spending some time in Leavenworth when I was a little kid, when my uncle worked in the fish hatchery there. The mountain scenery around that part of the Cascades rivals about anything the European Alps has to offer.
But there’s a lot to do between now and take-off, so I better get busy. Blessings on the rest of your day.
Love, Dad/Ray
30 June 2011
Psalm 59
Focus: “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.” Psalm 59: 16-17.
Do you hear the passion and intensity of David’s worship? He’s in trouble. He’s surrounded by King Saul’s Special Forces with the special assignment to end David’s life. He has nowhere else to turn but to God. May I suggest you are essentially in the same state—even though you are not facing threats on your physical life? The enemy of your eternal soul wants to take you out.
Last Sunday I had occasion to return a call to someone locally who had left a message on my phone. At the end of the conversation I impulsively said, “Hey—why don’t you follow us to church this morning?” He said, “Well, I might like to do that if it weren’t for the singing. I can’t stand it. It drives me nuts.” That blew me away. I’d never heard that one before—except from older people (like me) who are driven kind of nuts by some of the new songs in typical churches to the exclusion of the good old ones. But this guy, for some strange reason, hates music—hates singing. He sure wouldn’t get along well with David. And I guess he wouldn’t get along with me either insofar as worship goes. Singing is too inspiring and therapeutic for me to abandon.
Please allow me to suggest that you follow David’s lead—if you’re not already doing so. Notice how many times he uses the word “sing” in the two verses cited above. I suggest that you get real decisive about it—it’s certainly not going to happen by accident. Get alone somewhere, a private place where no one else can hear you. Maybe take along a songbook, or maybe even compose your own song of praise and worship to the Lord. In that setting just plain SING out loud in worship to the Lord. Maybe get real dramatic and lift your hands as a gesture of surrender to His Lordship. If this strikes you as just too fanatical and uncomfortable—well, I don’t suppose you’ll do it. But if you understand that you really have nothing to lose and no other substantial security in this world, my hunch is that this kind of honest effort will yield the “peace of God that passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
“Music is the art of the prophets, the only art that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.” - Martin Luther