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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5 Aug 11
Hello, dear special people.
Just to clarify—you’re not special just because I call you special—but because God says you are. And He wants to groom you to be His Ambassador amidst the foreign territory of where you reside and work.
Big list, big ideas, big possibilities…but very limited energy. Nothing new. Already this morning, I’ve had about 3 additional commercial jobs dropped in my lap. All I can do is what I can do. Now, there’s an idea worth remembering.
May your day go smooth…but not too smooth. Incidentally, did you hear what Tarzan’s dying words were? “Who greased the tree vine?”
Love—Dad/Ray.
5 August 2011
Psalm 95
Focus: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah…” Psalm 95:7-8.
There is further evidence here to support the idea that we are largely responsible before God for our own psychological health. (This, of course, does not pertain to people who, for whatever reason, are psychologically impaired and are not capable of intelligent management of their thinking.) To be sure, a healthy personal psychology makes good use of the gift of intelligence (objective reasoning).
First of all, I note that this psalm encourages us toward INTELLIGENT WORSHIP. I see two reasons for this: (1) Praise is like subjecting one’s mind to corrective and cleansing therapy. Without it, one’s mind, which has a natural attraction to delusion and dirt, will become contaminated and corrupted. It is INTELLIGENT to recognize this bent of the NATURAL SIN NATURE. It sure doesn’t totally evaporate upon conversion. For evidence, just take a look at the amount of crazy corruption that goes on among those claiming to be BORN AGAIN.
Intelligent music and song is a recommended medium for this INTELLIGENT WORSHIP. Verses 1 and 2 say, “Come let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” Verses 6 and 7 have become the basis for a familiar congregational song: “O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand” (KJV).
(2) Proper praise intelligently ascribes honor to Whom honor is due—engaging the process of CAUSE and EFFECT—recognizing that the Sovereign God is the CAUSE and the spectacular grandeur of creation (which includes ourselves) is the EFFECT. How can one NOT praise if and when this is recognized and understood?
Secondly, the psalmist presents here an INTELLIGENT WARNING. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” How could such a warning even make any sense if we were incapable of managing our own hearts (personal psychology)?—if there was no way for us to take responsibility for preventing a hardening of our mind’s arteries? Do you see the intelligent IF-THEN reasoning here? “IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE AND BELIEVE HIS WORD, THEN YOU NEED TO INTELLIGENTLY ESTABLISH THAT BELIEF AS A FOUNDATIONAL ANCHOR SO THAT YOUR LIFE’S BOAT DOES NOT YIELD TO ANY OPPOSING WINDS AND TIDAL CURRENTS AND DRIFT AWAY. YOU CAN’T JUST STEP OUT OF A SUNDAY MORNING CRUISE THROUGH WONDERFUL WORSHIP AND EXPECT YOUR HEART BOAT TO STAY PUT. WITHOUT AN INTELLIGENT ANCHORAGE, DRIFTING IS GUARANTEED. “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away” (Hebrews 2:1).
Why is this important? I am convinced that no one drifts into the haven of heaven.
“Deliberate with caution, but act with decision and promptness.”