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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23 Oct 11
Greetings, dear people…from the diminishing daylight of late Sunday afternoon.
I’m home alone at present. Excuse me…while I go make some popcorn. OK…I’m back. Good. Wish I could email you a bowl of my special popcorn. I wonder when they will develop that kind of technology?
We have an interesting project to take on tomorrow morning that is calling for some special engineering and innovation—using the sawmill to cut bevels on the tops of 26-foot glue-lam beams—when the cutting length maximum of the mill is 21 feet. But we can do it.
Have a good evening, a restful sleep, and a great tomorrow.
Love, Dad/Ray
23 October 2011
Job 2
Focus: “The LORD said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.’” Job 2:6.
Becki and I have spent a lot of years within the cultural environment of the Pacific Islands where the worldview of animism is predominant. One of the foundational ideas within that perspective is that the physical world is the display of the spirit world. In other words, all (at least many) effects in the realm of the physical have causes in the realm of the spiritual. In sharp contrast to that ideology is one that is very commonplace in the western world—secularism—a general disbelief in anything spiritual—that all reality is a composition of chemicals, molecules, and matter. While both miss the mark in comparison to what I believe is TRUTH—a biblical worldview—animism comes a lot closer than does secularism.
The drama before us in chapter 2 presents poor Job as a victim of further unbecoming effects, with causes rooted in the spirit world—presented as a kind of wager between the LORD and Satan. This is not easy to sort out. God actually grants permission for Satan to give Job as much hell as anyone can endure without being there.
I know there are those who get very irritated and rebellious over this idea—the notion that God allows His human subjects to be kicked around and abused as little experiments just to see what will happen—or just to prove some point within the spirit realm. I have to admit that there can be some basis (cause) for that kind of response (effect)—but I have to conclude that it is a wrong one. If God is as real and Sovereign as the Bible describes Him to be, it strikes me as nothing short of STUPID to be getting irritated and rebellious against Absolute Sovereignty! That’s more like suicide than intelligent. It makes a lot more sense to do everything possible to please and comply with Absolute Sovereignty than to hassle it. (Wait till we get to chapter 38!) So, I have to quote the good transcendent advice of Matthew 6:33 again—“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well.” What things? How about everything important?
Did you notice that Satan, who is bent on making Job as miserable as he possibly can—taking away his possessions, his children, and now his health—but leaves his wife? It would appear that she actually becomes a tool of torment. Coming to think of it, can there be anything more painful than to have the love of one’s life transformed into something much less than a lover—but an antagonist?—an enemy? Ouch! Here are her words of “encouragement” to Job: “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (v.9). She actually articulates the very words Satan used before the LORD—“But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face” (v. 5). Verse 10 is most commendable: Job “replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” What a guy!
I haven’t been designed or programmed to really live in the spirit world and know much of what goes on there—yet. For now, I’m pretty much bound by my tangible frame and see such things only blurry, like looking through a dirty window (1 Corinthians 13:12). But God has provided His Spirit and His Word to guide me into all important truth (John 16:13) that feeds my spiritual appetite (Matthew 4:4) toward pleasing the Sovereign spiritual God (John 4:24). The Scriptures advise that I am to “live by the Spirit”—setting spiritual goals, values, and priorities for my life course and thereby to live above the sin nature’s magnetic attraction to opposing God (Galatians 5:16).
Oh, oh—here come Job’s biased friends. Question: If God granted freedom to Satan to make Job’s life miserable, is it not possible that these nice “caring” people were also used by the dark side to compound Job’s misery?
Advice: Don’t let others compose your statement of self worth.
“A man’s character is like a fence. It cannot be strengthened by whitewash.”