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.
| Daily Reading Guide | 2011 Devotion Archives | 2010 Devotion Archives |
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18 Jan 11
Good afternoon, dear people.
I didn’t rise early enough to get things done before having to place myself in a chair with my mouth open at 8:30am…for a dentist to get in there with both hands. It actually went quite well…and I was up and out of that chair in less than a half hour.
I’ve already got a bit wet and dirty with Thano out at the sawmill. I lined him out to cut up a huge cedar log into siding for a building project at nearby Camp Adams. It is a very nice log yielding beautiful material. Part of the fun and adventure of sawmilling is that we have the privilege of opening up these capsules of God’s creation to behold that which no human eye has ever seen before. Of course that can also be said when cutting open an apple, or a fish, or…whatever.
Have a great rest of the day in the Lord.
Love, Dad/Ray
18 January 2011
Proverbs 18
Focus: “For the name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10.
With all the sincerity I can muster, I honestly cannot comprehend how other people cope with the bumps and bruises of life without this haven of rest and refuge described in these lines. This is particularly baffling in regards to people who really believe the ideology that their very existence is nothing more than the result of mindless chance. I have concluded many times that if it were not for this RELATIONSHIP with my MAKER that offers retreat and hope and security in the course of my own sojourn, I think I would have jumped off a bridge a long time ago! I mean, if I were really convinced, as some are, that the great purpose of life is truly PURPOSELESSNESS, why not be suicidal when things are not going my way? Who is going to say with any convincing logic or authority that that option is immoral or wrong? In fact, who can say anything is right or wrong from that worldview?!?
Call me lame-brained—too weak to face life without the crutch of faith—that’s OK. I absolutely need this “crutch”—I can’t function without it. And you know what?—I want it that way! I’ve learned too much about what I judge to be the negative effects of pride, arrogance, self-sufficiency, and purposelessness.
We’re not talking about some weird Christian “hocus-pocus” here—where magic-like words are spoken to achieve a supernatural result. It’s not the NAME of the Lord that is so powerful and significant in and of itself—since the NAME is simply an arrangement of letters that directs voice sounds when spoken. It is the REAL PERSON behind that NAME—the REAL PERSON Whom that NAME represents—and it is WHO HE IS—His character and attributes—that’s what makes His NAME special when spoken and sought from A HEART AFTER GOD.
Here’s how I might put the theme verse in other words: “Personal relationship with the Sovereign God offers refuge and security both now and forever more; it is an exclusive place known only to those with A HEART AFTER GOD.”
“If God be for us, Who can be against us?” - Romans 8:31