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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6 July 11
Good afternoon, dear ones.
The little boys have been returned to their mommy. So there’s a little more freedom to do other work now.
A lot has been squeezed into this day. It hasn’t played out just as I had planned. I don’t think I’m keeping up with the demands. Oh well…I guess it’ll just have to be that way. And now Andy reports that the tuna are less than 30 miles off shore. What’s a guy to do?
Keep doing the right thing. Blessings.
Love, Dad/Ray
6 July 2011
Psalm 65
Focus: “O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.” Psalm 65:2.
I often hear people say, “I’m not very religious.” And quite often I say, “I’m not either.” I base my response on a definition for RELIGION that I think fits. One way to state it is like this: RELIGION IS THE EFFORT OF A FINITE MAN TO CONNECT WITH AN INFINITE GOD. If there truly are such distinct entities, and they are basically out of touch with each other (as the Bible describes), it only makes sense to me that if such a connection is to take place, it would need to be initiated by the INFINITE GOD, not by the FINITE MAN—achievable only on God’s terms, not on man’s. And that is, in fact, exactly what the Biblical Gospel is all about—the offer and invitation presented by a loving and gracious INFINITE GOD to a sin-damaged FINITE MAN to not only be connected, but forgiven, restored, repaired, and transformed. How in the world can this NOT be GOOD NEWS?!
I heard a guy say these lines yesterday (“I’m not very religious.”) when he stopped in at our place to ask about the availability of sawdust, which I have in abundance. So I gave my typical response and laced it with my typical challenge. I pointed out that if God were as big and powerful as the Bible describes Him to be, He would have no trouble whatsoever putting on a show that would blow us away and convince us with absolutely certainty concerning His reality and sovereignty—if He wanted. But He clearly does not want to do so. Instead He reserves His special revelation for only one kind of people—those who seek Him—in other words, those who truly pray—not to be confused with just saying a prayer. The wonderful opportunity available to us is stated well by James: “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8). I can only conclude, if I don’t, He won’t.
Verse 4 describes some of the benefits of this dynamic connection—this relationship made possible by a gracious God: “Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.” The value of these benefits are made clear by considering their alternatives.
“To deny the freedom of the will is to make morality impossible.” - James A. Froude