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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30 Oct 11
Hello there, dear people.
Rain is here again…kind of discouraging my job. But time is also getting away from me. As you might imagine, this kind of literary effort seems to call for more of it—effort, that is.
I think I mentioned my uncertainties yesterday as to how my day would take shape. It did take an unexpected turn when I walked over to investigate the noises I was hearing next door on the other side of the trees where a vacant house has sat, falling apart. A fellow was there on behalf of the owner to demolish the house and burn it. I put my foot in my mouth and offered to come over with the track hoe and smash it in a hurry. He jumped at the offer. It was really a bit fun to use my powerful hydraulics to reduce that structure to a pile of debris in fairly short order. My compensation was a nearby standing-dead cedar tree that I fell right across the top of the house, then limbed it, bucked it, and lifted off with the track hoe…then hauled the logs home…only about 50 yards.
I’m wondering too how today will go. I know that, besides our Gospel Sing at Pheasant Pointe, Becki and I are schedule this evening to do a little music at a Baptist Church in the Boring area.
However your day goes, be blessed.
Love, Dad/Ray
30 October 2011
Job 9
Focus: “If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.” Job 9:33-34.
Job is really down in the dumps—down in the dumpster—and wishing God would hurry up and dump the dumpster. His lousy circumstances render a lousy attitude. And that attitude colors everything. He has lost his view of God’s goodness—for the time being. But that’s OK—for the time being.
Very likely you have been in some gathering where the leader says, “God is good.” And the people add, “All the time.” Then he says, “All the time.” And the people follow, “God is good.” That really is a very nice piece of liturgy—especially when the people truly believe it and embrace it.
What if you had approached Job back before the storm struck his life and asked him, “Is God good all the time?” I think he would have answered something like, “Oh yes—absolutely!” But had you approached him around the setting of chapter 9 and asked, “Is God good all the time?” his response would probably be more like, “What does that have to do with anything? The bottom line is that God is absolutely sovereign—and does absolutely as He pleases—all the time! What do you mean by ‘good’ anyway? Good in relation to what? To me? To you? Give me a break! God’s sovereignty is not about me or about you—or about anyone else who presumes to define ‘goodness!’ It’s about Him! And He is what He is! Period! Now, do you have any other stupid questions?” When you recover enough to speak, you might say, “Sorry, Job—I guess I kind of touched a nerve.”
While Job’s view of God may be in flux, he clearly maintains a FEAR OF THE LORD, which Scripture confirms is “the beginning of wisdom.” Did you catch that? It’s the beginning—not the end. It again calls to my mind the illustration I mentioned yesterday on the buttoning of a shirt. Truly FEARING THE LORD—recognizing His transcending power, holiness, and worthiness of man’s worship and submission—it’s like the importance of getting the first button in the first slot—allowing the rest to fall into place. Job’s cynicism is actually a piece of wisdom in the making.
The fact is that, behind the veil of Job’s five senses, God is NOT angry with him—He is NOT punishing him or afflicting him for the fun of it. Indeed He is actually applauding Job’s use of the free will He has vested in Job—proud and pleased that Job has so chosen to maintain his FEAR OF THE LORD and his PERSONAL INTEGRITY.
Listen to Job’s longing for someone to step in who could more effectively represent him before this Sovereign God and more effectively represent God back to himself. “He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot” (Job 9:32-35).
Don’t you wish you could text-message Job with a New Testament quote like Hebrews 4:14-16: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
“Live so that when death comes, the mourners outnumber the cheering section.”