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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16 Oct 11
Good morning, dear special people.
Almost 7am…and it’s still very dark out there. I guess it’s time to start wearing my high visibility reflective vest while doing my jog…with the dog…in the fog. As soon as I send this off I think I’ll take that on. Hey!—good news—Becki just said she’d go too. Cool! Thankfully, I was able to rise early enough (4am) to accommodate this routine again.
Blessings on your day. It’s one He made, you know.
Love, Dad/Ray
16 October 2011
Psalm 145
Focus: “Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145:2.
You have to admit—that is a pretty big promise! David is so pumped with vision and confidence that his commitment goes beyond the grave—right into “for ever and ever.” Wow! Is David just blowing pious smoke, or does he really have a sound basis for this big claim? The basis, I believe, is in his personal view of God and his tested and proven personal relationship with Him. It’s not just a “religious” liturgical superficial matter—it grips him—“I will meditate on your wonderful works” (v. 5). So the basis of David’s very big claim is rooted in his view of a very big God.
What does David’s meditation and reflection turn up concerning this Big God? Let’s compose a list from David’s own expressions within this psalm—THINGS GOD DOES AND IS: “Wonderful works” (v.5). “Awesome works” (v. 60). “Abundant goodness” (v. 7). “Righteousness” (vv. 7, 17). “Gracious” (v. 8). “Compassionate” (v. 8). “Slow to anger” (v. 8). “Rich in love” (vv. 8, 17). “Good to all” (v. 9). “Mighty acts” (v. 12). “Faithful” (v. 13). “Loving toward all he has made” (v. 13). “Upholds all those who fall” (v. 14). “Lifts up all who are bowed down” (v. 14). Gives food “at the proper time” (v. 15). Satisfies “desires of every living thing” (v. 16). “Near to all who call on him” (v. 18). “Fulfills the desires of those who fear him” (v. 19). “Hears their cry” (v. 19). “Watches over all who love him” (v. 20). “BUT ALL THE WICKED HE WILL DESTROY” (v. 20).
Lets’ understand—IF you really believed all this, there is absolutely no way you could be casual or indifferent in worship! Think about it—consider these simple questions: HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD? DOES HE LOOK ANYTHING LIKE DAVID’S GOD? DOES HE HAPPEN TO SHRINK WHEN YOU FACE TROUBLE?
“An argument is the longest distance between two points of view.”