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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6 Dec 11
Dear special people.
Sure cold around here…mid 20s. That will impede some of my work. I’m going to try to get on with a trip to my brother’s place…driving my old crane truck. I hope it will prove to run that far without any issues. They are wanting me to do some tree trimming of their huge maple trees. The boom can be fit with a man-lift basket that allows me to go up about 50 feet. There will definitely be some logistical challenges.
Have a great day…as you align your priorities with HIS.
Love, Dad/Ray
6 December 2011
Proverbs 6
Focus: “For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life, keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.” Proverbs 6:23-24.
I would like to process this paragraph of thought by identifying some simple parallels and practical principles that apply to us all.
Who is speaking here?—and to whom is he speaking? It is a wise experienced father addressing his young inexperienced son. The father is convinced that he is imparting some vital rules and guidelines that guarantee success. He knows that while these precepts may be unpopular and difficult to apply, they will pay rich dividends in the long run. It’s easy to draw a parallel—God is our Heavenly Father, Who speaks words of wisdom and guidance to us, His children, via His Word, the Bible (This special Book is no accident!) He clearly desires that His children succeed in life. He knows that the personal application of His rules and principles will serve as a guide to that goal—and that failure in this will result in FAILURE.
Which commands and teachings does the father mean? Obviously, there are many. It really could be a very good practical project for anyone to group and categorize the Proverbs under topical headings. But there are some general ones like 3:5-6 and 4:23. Making the parallel back again to the heart and intent of our Heavenly Father, He too has prescribed a pair of priority rules that govern about everything else—(1) LOVE GOD and (2) LOVE OTHERS. I realize that repeating this pair of precepts could be something akin to water on a ducks back—their familiarity can fail to sink in. My New Testament reading in 2 John provides a good definition for this supreme standard: “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love” (2 John 1:6). Do you see the circular all-encompassing principle involved here? Because the Father loves to love us, He commands us to love—and we choose to love the Father and what He loves because we know the Father loves us and loves to see us love. Whew! Got it? To be sure, our success and destiny hinge on this.
Do you see the similarity to Psalm 119:105? “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” We could easily fill several pages with scripture quotations referring to light and darkness. For now, listen once again to these words of Jesus: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). “Light of life.” Think of it. It shines in bright contrast to the darkness of life.
Does this light only guard you from immoral women? No—much more than that—it will guard you from an immoral anything! There is no shortage of immoral and wayward ideas out there that would flirt with your natural lusts by means of some pretty smooth and enticing talk.
What can be said of the “corrections of discipline?” Let’s simply quote a familiar supportive passage. Listen to it in the New Living Translation. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right (Divine discipline). God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
What’s the matter with me? The way my thinker works, this kind of godliness wins over ungodliness— HANDS DOWN!
“There never was found in any age of the world either philosopher or sect, or law, or discipline which did so highly exalt the public good as the Christian faith.” - Francis Bacon