Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
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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20 Nov 11
            Greetings, dear ones.
            Becki and I, and of course, Max, just returned from a jog/walk in the frosty air.  Nice.  Invigorating.  I did a few deep knee bends along the way to help get my rubber legs ready for some hopeful upcoming skiing.
            We’ll be heading this morning to Woodburn to do our mini-service Gospel Sing thing at Country Meadows Assisted Living Center.
            God richly bless your day…as you sing the right songs…in the right key.
                        Love, Dad/Ray
 
20 November 2011
Job 30
Focus: “Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.”  Job 30:26.
            Job is in the dumps.  He’s depressed and wants others to be depressed with him.  This section of his eloquent wailing brought to my mind the song BJ Thomas made popular—“HEY, WONTCHA PLAY ANOTHER SOMEBODY DONE SOMEBODY WRONG SONG.”  I did something kind of unusual—“Googled” that song—Bingo!—there was a YouTube clip of BJ singing that song before a swooning audience, clapping, swaying, and singing along.  That raised another question: Why are all these people so identifying with such a sad and depressing song?  I guess it’s because shattered dreams and broken hearts are so commonplace to human experience—and fellowship on that level seems to be strangely therapeutic—like membership in an exclusive fraternity. Here—listen to some of that song—
So please play for me a sad melody
So sad that it makes everybody cry-y-y-y
A real hurtin' song about a love that's gone wrong
'cause I don't want to cry all alone
 

            I sense that Job has not lost his self esteem and his capacity for critical sarcasm and continues to loathe those who have chosen to be members of the Low Life Losers Club.  Some of those guys, Job says, were not fit “to put with my sheep dogs” (v. 1).  And now, he laments in so many words, “their kids are making up bar room drinking songs that ridicule me” (v. 9).
            Job is singing his own song of sadness.  “Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.”  Are you tapping your foot and singing along?  I think we can all identify with that song to one degree or another.  Job doesn’t know it yet, but in another year or so, he would be singing an upgraded song very similar to the well-known one by Bill and Gloria Gaither.  Let’s use our imagination and fast forward about a year to a performance by the Job Vocal Band…
 
            Amen! Isn’t that the glory of the Gospel?!  Isn’t that what we should be about?  Isn’t that the essential prophetic aim and goal of the ministry and work of Christ?  Listen again to Isaiah’s inspired anticipation (He could be singing it.):  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:1-3).  Halleluiah!  Amen again!
            Job follows through with this musical track and ends up by singing, “My harp is tuned to mourning, and my flute to the sound of wailing” (v. 31).
            You too have a harp and flute.  Be reminded that tuning is critical.
 
“Music is the art of the prophets, the only art that can calm the agitations of the soul; It is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”  -  Martin Luther