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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11 Nov 11
Greetings, dear special people.
I now hear rain on the roof. And I hear a lot of chaos in the other room…with 4 grandkids…two of Thano’s and two of Andy’s. I’ve tried to hide out in my bedroom so I could get this finished up. But now I’m being invaded here too. Oh, my…Callie was tampering with our ongoing Scrabble game. I was able to fix it.
11/11/11. Now there’s a unique date!
I did a little logging operation alone over at Camp Adams today. I was trying to haul out two good size trees I dropped yesterday. We need them right away for cutting some fascia timbers for the new building there. I only finished one tree, gleaning four 25-foot long logs. So it was over 100 feet long. I sure don’t seem to suffer from boredom.
Have a good night. I guess I better go goof off with the kiddies.
Love, Dad/Ray.
11 November 2011
Job 21
Focus: “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?” Job 21:7.
Job grapples with the ancient difficult question: Why do the guilty-wicked prosper? Implied, of course, is, why do the innocent-righteous suffer?
The psalmist Asaph made an honest confession in Psalm 73. “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace…This is what the wicked are like—always carefree, they increase in wealth” (Psalm 73:2-6, 12). Can you identify with Asaph’s internal conflict? I can.
In fact, I’ll make a little confession of my own. Just last evening, Becki and I went to Costco. I admit that I was a bit spell-bound by that huge line-up of big-screen televisions, all displaying the same scenes. I paused a moment there to watch a big group of attractive young adults dancing—I think they call it “line dancing”—where in unison they gyrate and cavort in athletic choreographed moves all over the place in coordination with the pulsing music. Man, it was hard for me not to bounce around too. They were all so healthy and happy—gorgeous gals and handsome guys in pairs—not a fatso or ugly in the bunch—just having a blast! I admit that for a second or two, the unsaid idea wafted through my little unguarded bald head, “Man—that has to be fun—wouldn’t it be nice to be able to do that, hang out with all your beautiful friends, perpetuate your youth, and just dance and party your care-free lives away?” That thought isn’t permitted to stay very long—I know too much—I know that it’s all a big glamorous façade—that, very likely, the beautiful babe featured in the cinematography is, in fact, an emotional basket case—a self-centered egotist, or maybe longing to be loved and accepted, but angry about being used, abused, or exploited only for her beauty. There are simply too many cases of people just like them, who look like they are so wonderful, like their lives are all together—then you hear of them checking out in suicide, or finding some diversion or substance to anesthetize their internal pain and emptiness.
Job seems to have their number though. “Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What should we gain by praying to him?’” (Job 21:13-15). And he recognizes that at the unavoidable termination of their earthly lives, they all—the - William James
arrogant rich or the humble poor—“Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both” (v.26).
There’s that “dust” word again—describing both the material of our physical origin, as well as the material of our future state—DUST! DIRT! SOIL! Doesn’t recognition of that fact kind of put things in perspective? In this light, how is it that we humans tolerate and justify attitudes of arrogance, prejudice, and superiority? In that regard, here’s a little song I’ve composed recently:
“My dust is better than your dust.
The matter making me matters more.
The molecules and atoms within me are just more just.
Little wonder I’m the one that I adore!”
The sad fact is that this gang of “comforters” is actually adding to Job’s misery. He would have less of it if he were simply left alone. At the beginning of this round of Job’s speaking he sarcastically says, “Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on” (v. 3). Then the last verse sums up his disgust—“So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!” (v. 34).
I was impressed with Asaph’s words, quoted above in Psalm 73. It makes me want to ask, “What kind of a necklace am I wearing?”
“A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”