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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27 Oct 11
Good morning, dear special people.
What a gorgeous view out this window—bright sunshine on the cedars. I’ve attempted some work over at Camp Adams, but the boss man isn’t there yet. I came home to carry on with other stuff. I guess they’ll call me when they need me.
Oh, someone is here to see me…so bye for now. Have a great day.
Love—Dad/Ray
27 October 2011
Job 6
Focus: “Then I would still have this consolation—my joy in unrelenting pain—that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.” Job 6:10.
Here’s my take on the first part of Job’s response to Eliphaz: “Give me a break! I’m not supernatural! If anyone has ever had a good excuse for depression and anguish of soul, it is I.”
Eliphaz had self-righteously prescribed prayer to Job. You can be sure Job has been doing that—a lot of it! I’m noticing two features of Job’s praying in verses 8 through 10: (1) The CONTENT of his prayer is basically this: “Lord, I sure don’t know what’s going on and why—but it feels like more than I can bear. I know that You are Sovereign and this is not getting by You unaware. So, either You are attacking me or You are allowing me to be attacked. I just pray that You would do whatever it takes to get it over with and finish me off! The pain of death would be nothing compared to this pain of living.”
(2) The CONFIDENCE of Job’s prayer is that in spite of his losses, in spite of the suffering, in spite of his confusion, and in spite of his being maligned and rejected, he has not turned his back on God. He absolutely refuses to denounce the “Holy One.”
But Job feels he has reason to denounce his “friends.” “A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends…But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams…that cease to flow in the dry season, and in the heat vanish from their channels” (vv. 14-17). They have proven to be “fair weather friends.” Job complains that they have given themselves over to beating him up when they should be building him up—they are persecuting the afflicted—attacking the wounded.
I know a little about those kinds of “friends.” And I know something about the frustration Job describes in verses 24 and 25: “Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong. How painful are honest words! But what do your arguments prove?” I desire to be characterized by an openness to be taught and shown where I am wrong. I want to invite that. But I’m not open to a free-for-all. I choose to set forth a general condition for receiving criticism and correction—IT HAS TO BE BASED IN INTELLIGENT OBJECTIVE REASONING—it has to make sense to me. I don’t cope well with a bunch of theoretical subjective horse manure!—even though it may be cloaked in “speaking the truth in love.” Do you know what I mean?
I notice I used the word “frustration” above. I distinctly remember a setting (about 1979, Solomon Islands) where a casual conversation with a senior Australian Baptist missionary, Ed Nash, brought profound clarity to the subtle tyranny of frustration. I don’t remember exactly what we were discussing, but in the course of my description I made reference to certain frustrations I faced in the ministry that engaged us. He responded with a statement that exploded in my perspective like fireworks against a dark sky—“Just remember, Ray, FRUSTRATION IS NOT A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.” That so impacted my little head with meaning that I went home and crafted a neat little wooden plaque with that inscription and gave it to Ed. He actually prized that gift and commented on it several times over the course of our correspondence through the years. (He’s now in glory.)
It’s good to know what the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT are NOT—it’s also double good to know what they are. So perhaps it could be a good exercise for all of us to subject much of what we say, think, feel, and do with those two symptom lists in Galatians 5. Let’s just end up by quoting that passage: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other” (Galatians 5:19-26).
“I never know how to worship until I know how to love.” - Henry Ward Beecher