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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28 April 11
Good afternoon, dear people.
It sure has been stinky weather here this afternoon…cold and rainy. I’m sure Kash is thankful for my mill shed where he can basically work under cover. I hear the mill running even as I type. That 51hp CAT diesel is a pretty sound to my biased ear.
I sure have a long list of work objectives piling up. And yet I run off skiing yesterday? How crazy is that? But you know what? I don’t regret it one bit!
May the rest of your day go well. Love, Dad/Ray
28 April 2011
Proverbs 28
Focus: “If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.” Proverbs 28:9.
There are a lot more laws in place around us than those addressed in the Ten Commandments and those imposed upon us by legislators. I’m inclined to believe that the physical, psychological, and spiritual laws of sowing and reaping, or cause and effect (common sense), are also laws to respect and live by.
Take, for example, the laws and principles of nutrition and health. I’m thinking of a fellow missionary we worked with years ago. Mind you, I don’t wish to be critical, but I will venture some observations from what may be my little soap box. He was a nice guy, good mechanic, capable musician, creative preacher—but he was big as a barn and definitely not healthy. He claimed he didn’t like water, bought cases of Coke by the truck load, ate junk food, couldn’t sleep on normal mattresses, and didn’t exercise. He’s now dead—probably in his 50s. I’m not sure what disease finally took him down, but one doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to recognize that this guy was a ticking time bomb. Question: How appropriate is it for someone like this while struggling with one of his final physical ailments to call the prayer chain and request healing—since “by His stripes we are healed?” Hello! Is there something wrong with this picture?
How about the junk food of television and movies that many consume with their minds without restraint? Can we really expect psychological and spiritual health to result? Are we not touching on God-established laws of cause and effect—sowing and reaping—or the simple principle that you basically get out of a container what you put in? This could be a good place to quote from Galatians 6: “Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from that Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:7-9).
Is there any set of laws more deserving of our attention than the laws Paul addresses in Romans 8? “…because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-3). Don’t you dare turn down your hearing aid or TURN A DEAF EAR to this one!
“You never can be the person you can be if pressure, tension, and discipline are taken out of your life.” - James G. Bilkey