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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9 Aug 11
Hello in the evening, dear ones.
The day is spent…and so am I. I think I’ll go take a nap…till I wake up.
Have a good night. Love—Dad/Ray
9 August 2011
Psalm 99
Focus: “The King is mighty, he loves justice—you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.” Psalm 99:4.
This psalm opens with an affirmation that is repeated often in this section of the Psalms—“The LORD reigns.” If you are able to believe that as fact, it offers a huge amount of encouragement and security—which you don’t get from listening to the news. Man!—this planet is in trouble! But “The LORD reigns!”
The FOCUS VERSE contains some key words that describe His reign—JUSTICE, EQUITY, JUST, and RIGHT. When we recognize and understand something of our NATURAL SIN NATURE we should tremble before His justice. But look at verse 8—“You were to Israel a FORGIVING GOD.” The Good News is that when we confess and repent He forgives.
God’s forgiveness is implicit in the lineup of three role-model patriarchs mentioned in verse 6—Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. According to the Biblical record, I’m fine with Moses and Samuel—but that Aaron guy—accommodating that stupid plan to fashion the golden calf while Moses was on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, then lying about it, and later participating in a rebellion against Moses—I’m not so sure about him. He doesn’t strike me as an exemplary role model. But, hey—I suppose we all have stories to tell—including some shameful ones, if all were told. Perhaps there is more to the Aaron story than we know—some profound lesson-learning and repentance. Perhaps he is as much a testimony to God’s grace and forgiveness as anyone.
You may be familiar with verse 5 as it has become the basis of a praise song in modern churches. “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.”
“The first step to receiving eternal life is to admit that we don’t deserve it.”