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 Dec 11
Good morning, dear ones.
Yup!...I’ve been offline for 4 days. I could scramble and pump out 4 day’s worth of devotionals…but thought that might be a little daunting all at once. I’ll just hit you with this morning’s production.
I kind of enjoyed the get-away to my brother’s place near Yakima. It was about a 5-hour haul in that old truck that only gets 6 mpg. But the old machine performed beautifully during those two days of serious tree work. They now have a pile of firewood to burn.
We now have two little boys here for the weekend (Friday to Tuesday). One matter that makes it a bit more difficult is that they are both afflicted with colds (causes) that seem to make them a bit more gritchy (effects). Even as I type, I hear an eruption of gritchy. Are we having fun yet?
May your day be blessed…and free of gritchy.
Love, Dad/Ray.
11 December 2011
Proverbs 11
Focus: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30.
CAUSE AND EFFECT. If your life is a cause, what is the effect? If your life is an effect, what is the cause? Examining your life from both angles is wisdom. Indeed, everyone is an effect—and everyone is a cause.
Obviously, farming is an exercise in cause and effect. What the farmer plants (cause) is what the farmer grows (effect). It’s a law of life. Whether you know it or not, you are a farmer too. You are either a wise one—or a foolish one. To be sure, the world abounds with foolish farmers—those who attempt to think they can break the laws of cause and effect and get away with it—those who are deceived into thinking they can plant bad seed and still grow good fruit. Another certainty is that to become a wise farmer is no accident—it calls for decisive diligence, focus, and patience.
The Apostle Paul states the case this way: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. (His laws cannot be violated without consequence.) A man reaps (effect) what he sows (cause). The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit (the plans and purposes of our Maker), from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest (good harvest) if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:7-10).
“The fruit (effect) of the righteous (cause) is a tree of life (good effect as opposed to bad effect).” This tree of life grows and branches out to yield the influence of righteousness beyond himself—a positive chain reaction that actually plays out to rescue others (“wins souls”) from the FFA—the worldwide union of the Foolish Farmers Association. (Please take time to read again Psalm 1 and Galatians 5.)
I realize we’re spinning things in abstract terms to amplify the main idea presented in the FOCUS VERSE, but these abstractions impress me as being very real—and very important. However you process it, are we not identifying a general course of wisdom?
“A proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.”