Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

I was about to insert my little impromptu greeting at the top of the devotional—but then absent-mindedly hit the send button before I intended to send. Old people do lots of whacked things like that, you know.

Anyway…Becki and I just completed our little walk/jog on our own place. No rain. There’s even a little bit of sunshine sneaking through the clouds as I peer out this window—attempting to ignore the mess that I also see from this window. I guess that’s a principle to live by right there: A HORIZONTAL PERSPECTIVE CAN BE DEPRESSING. IT’S THE UPWARD LOOK THAT’S BRIGHT WITH HOPE. I think we’re really supposed to figure out how to do both.

I admit that my devotional spin this morning is not very typical—unless the author is non-typical. Maybe that explains it.

Have a great day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Here we go again! Same lines as yesterday—in fact, they appear three times on one page in my Bible—twice in Psalm 42 and once more here in Psalm 43. Probably written by the same author. This “son of Korah” was still having difficulty coping with his insides. He thought he had it all figured out, with his thoughts and emotions nice and stable, and CRASH!—here they are giving him fits again! Hmm. Maybe we shouldn’t be too hard on this guy. You and I both know that just because we get our heads and hearts all nicely ironed out once does not mean that wrinkles will never return—that we’ll never have to iron again. That’s just part of the daily grind of living as a human with the residue of a NATURAL SIN NATURE within the environment of a FALLEN WORLD.

I have in mind to repeat here all of Psalm 43—then inserting responses that I imagine Sovereign God could make to these understandable human expressions. I’ll put God’s imaginary replies in capitals.

• “Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation.” WHY? THEY HAVE MISREPRESENTED ME TOO. THEY DON’T WANT TO HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
• “Rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.” I HAVE, I DO, AND I WILL. JUST STAY CLOSE TO ME. I’M SAD TO SAY THAT, EVEN THOUGH MY SCOPE OF LOVE INCLUDES THEM, THAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE THERE TO STAY ON YOUR SIDE OF ETERNITY. DEAL WITH IT.
• “You are God my stronghold.” GOOD INSIGHT. JUST STAY THERE. THAT IS KEY TO YOUR STRENGTH.“Why have you rejected me?” WHAT? I HAVEN’T! WHO SAID I DID?
• “Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” YOU DON’T HAVE TO—UNLESS YOU WANT TO. SCHIZOPHRENIA IS NOT A HEALTHY WAY TO LIVE.
• “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me.” I HAVE. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS WALK IN THE LIGHT YOU HAVE, BECAUSE I’M IN THAT LIGHT.
• “Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” HANG IN THERE—KEEP WALKING IN THAT LIGHT—YOU’LL GET THERE.
• “Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.” IF YOU WILL MAINTAIN THAT MINDSET, YOU’LL BE FINE. THAT’S ALL I NEED TO DIRECT YOUR PATHS.
• “Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.” IF YOU WILL MAINTAIN THAT MINDSET, YOU’LL BE FINE. THAT’S ALL I NEED TO DIRECT YOUR PATHS.
• “I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.” I LOVE IT! THAT’S MUSIC TO MY EARS!
• “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” WHEN YOU’RE DONE BEING DISTRACTED BY YOUR FEELINGS, AND TALKING TO YOUSELF, I’LL STILL BE RIGHT HERE.
• “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” GOOD WORD. I LIKE WHAT YOU TOLD YOU.