2016 picture of Ray Sparre

Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67



These devotional messages are personalized as messages to Ray's granddaughter, Samara.

06 February 2017

Good day, Mara.

Here’s for today.

It’s been a crazy day so far. At least we finally sold our wrecked Honda today. Didn’t get much for it.

I had better keep moving.

Be good. Love, Tua.


Proverbs 6
Focus: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!.” Proverbs 6:6.

Here’s a question for you, Samara: What percentage of people who are hundreds of times larger than an ant, have acquired many years of experience, have a high school diploma and maybe a college degree—how many of this kind of people do you suppose would ever give a second thought to consulting ants so as to gain advice about anything?—let alone how to do human life with wisdom? But here it is—that very instruction is clearly given right here in God’s Word as inspired and penned by one acclaimed to be the wisest man to have ever lived—King Solomon. He has already affirmed that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7)—which probably flows out of his memory of his father’s words that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalms 111:10). Perhaps we could formulate advice that follows like this: AFTER YOU HAVE GONE TO THE BIG GOD FOR BEGINNING YOUR COURSE OF WISDOM, NOW GO TO THE LITTLE ANT TO ENHANCE YOUR WISDOM.

So what is the BIG lesson to be gleaned from this LITTLE ant? In a nutshell it could go this way: WISDOM PREPARES FOR THE FUTURE. I think there can be lessons for both the future on this side of our graves, as well as the future on the other side. Without this kind of intentional research, goal-setting, and management, our lives become all “willy-nilly”—tossed to and fro. And to neglect any preparation at all for “life after death” is then rendered a foolish risk—something like playing “Russian roulette.” After all, the wisdom of such preparation is underscored by the glaring fact that the physical death rate for all who physically live on this earth remains at one-in-one. No exceptions!—short of a rapture.

“It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores up its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”

~ Proverbs 6:7-8 ~