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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26 Dec 11
Greetings, dear ones.
Becki and I did a walk/jog on a very icy roadway. Yesterday it rose to near 50 degrees…but this morning was near 30 degrees. It must have been a rapid drop to cause all that ice.
Lots on the home TO DO list. Among many other things, I’m obligated to fabricate a toy tow truck for Kaden. Then I need to install a new dish washer. Then…
Blessings on your day.
Love, Dad/Ray
26 December 2011
Proverbs 26
Focus: “Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.” Proverbs 26:25.
Let me quote this little paragraph of thought that encompasses three verses: “A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit. Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly” (vv. 24-26).
A casual read easily directs our attention to someone bad out there in the third person. There is comfort in just leaving it that way. May I suggest, however, that we subject this idea to first person scrutiny, and look within, even though it will immediately trigger discomfort?
I wonder why Solomon left us hanging—mentioning “seven abominations,” but not listing them so we would know what they are. Perhaps it isn’t as important to know what they are as it is to know that “abominations” are naturally resident within our hearts. Certainly there are more than seven lurking around in there.
Here are some questions I believe are appropriate for me to ask myself. Do I have a capacity for malice? (“Malice”—a desire or willingness to harm others.) Am I capable of deceptive speech? Have I ever put forth creative charming arguments to defend and disguise my real intentions? It’s bad enough to employ this kind of con-artistry on others, but do I ever use it on myself?—and still believe me? (Self-deception) So far, I have to say YES to those questions. Here’s another—How truly aware am I that I can get away with NOTHING with finality?—that even my thoughts and intents are under close surveillance? If I am aware, and if I understand that my YES answers are actually disqualifiers for God’s blessing and approval, I believe I have identified my MOST IMPORTANT HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT.
Let me attempt to strike what I believe is a vital balance in achieving an effective Biblical faith. NO—I cannot save myself from own my sin problem—deliverance is not won through my shear human effort and personal introspection (Ephesians 2:8-9). But NO—God is not going to do it all for me entirely on His own, independent of my participation (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 7:1). YES—it is a powerful winning combination—a joint effort—His AMAZING GRACE linked with my BELIEF AND OBEDIENCE.
Let’s end up on the victory equation of Romans 8:1-2: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (KJV).
“There is one way to find out if a man is honest—ask him. If he says yes, you know he is a crook.” - Groucho Marx