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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5 May 11
Good morning, dear ones.
Would you believe that I’m still in my jogging togs? There have been discussions, phone calls, work planning, and I even went to look at a bunch of cedar logs with a guy who stopped by with that invitation. Part of my problem is that I got out of bed much too late…about 5:15am.
May your day be blessed.
Love, Dad/Ray
5 May 2011
Psalm 4
Focus: “In your anger, do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” Psalm 4:4.
Sleeping is normally the first things I do when I go to bed at night. Occasionally I will try to read awhile in a book before turning off the light. In that case I can usually make it through one paragraph—two pages at the most—before the book falls out of my hand and wakes me up. So I give up and turn off the light and go with the flow. But once my refurbishing sleep has reached its mysterious quota and my head reboots, I do all kinds of things in bed. I reflect on yesterday, I form a tentative if-then list for the day, I pray, I explore solutions for relationships, I design signs, I engineer building projects, I craft a timberframe joint, I troubleshoot an equipment problem, I run the sawmill (sawing logs after “sawing logs”), and I process Scripture. A few years ago, following a solo skydive, I did skydiving in bed every night for two weeks after. Yes—I do lots of things in bed.
Where you sleep is truly a private place and offers a very valuable QUIET PLACE—indeed a QUIET TIME. It’s interesting to note that in the previous Psalm David testifies, “To the LORD I cry ALOUD” (3:4), but now he recommends, “Search your hearts and be SILENT.” Let’s agree that it’s good to do both, as determined by circumstances. And in your SILENCE don’t be idle. While you are pressured to think about a lot of things, be sure to take time to SEARCH YOUR HEART.
Search for what? Search for misplaced priorities. Search for dirt and defilement. Search for deterioration and needs for repair. My New Testament reading schedule had me read 1 Peter 5. Therein, Peter identifies something important to search for and quotes from Proverbs 3:34—the contraband of PRIDE. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Then he adds, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
Speaking of valuable SILENCE, SEARCHING, and the contamination of ANXIETY, listen again to how David prays in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
I’m inclined to believe that this kind of routine will best serve you when you’re out there in the middle of your work day in the real world and things oppose your efforts and tempt your anger. IN YOUR ANGER, YOU WILL BE LESS LIKELY TO SIN.
“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” - Proverbs 25:28