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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8 June 11
Good morning, special people.
I don’t have time for it, but I’m going to do a jog anyway. I’m not sure if little Kaden (3 yr. old grandson) will want to go or not. I know Max (the dog) will. He would rather go on these excursions than almost anything else.
I wish the Oregon Coast was not so temperamental with conditions to accommodate diving. I’m definitely spoiled. Too often when we go to do some spear fishing, the plan is foiled with visibility of about 2 feet. If we’re real lucky we can find 15 or 20 foot visibility. Oh for the good old days!
Lots on my list. What’s on yours? Better get. Love, Dad/Ray.
8 June 2011
Psalm 37
Focus: “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4.
I wonder how many people can say they have been inspired and blessed by raiding the neighbor’s garbage can?
One morning, several months ago, while commencing my jog, I noticed that the neighbor’s garbage bin had been blown over, probably due to the whoosh of a big truck. Being a somewhat nice guy, I stopped to reload their bin with the stuff that had scattered and set it upright again. In the process, I noticed a diver’s magazine amidst their trash and decided that I might like to look through it. It’s been a lot of years since I’ve bought a dive magazine. I kept it out with plans to take it home. I did. It was full of all kinds of exotic underwater photography, mostly in a tropical environment—all kinds of tropical fish, turtles, snakes, sharks, and marvelous coral formations—all with amazingly clear visibility. I suppose it’s understandable that the main focus was more promotional than informational—“Come dive with us in the Caymans!” “Dive the Bahamas for only $3499!” “Travel, lodging, meals, and exquisite diving in Tahiti for just $4750!”
I developed an infatuation with the underwater world when I was a kid in the 50’s. So much so, I would even take a mask and snorkel with me in the bath tub. In the early days of Coleman Pool at Lincoln Park in Southwest Seattle, they allowed masks, snorkels, and flippers—so I became familiar with that activity early on. I was 14 (1958) when I twisted my mother’s arm hard enough to get permission to rent an old Bell Aqua dry suit to do my first cold-water dive in Puget Sound with a friend. That primed the pump and commenced a career of more spear fishing and diving adventures than I can remember. During those early days I would pore over undersea features in National Geographic and read lots of accounts by Jacque Cousteau—and dreamed about some day diving in tropical waters.
I have not been sterling with my commitments, but I came to embrace the advice of Proverbs 3:5-6 fairly early—“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (KJV—from memory. Did I get it right?). I also learned Psalm 37:4 early—“Delight thyself also in the LORD, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (KJV—from memory. Did I get it right?). And as I pondered and reflected while looking through that dive magazine from my neighbor’s garbage can that morning, it occurred to me that this Biblical advice and promise has proven convincingly true in my case. As I sought to do his will, I was rewarded along the way with some of the most incredible fulfillment of my adolescent dreams that I could have imagined. There was almost nothing in that dive magazine that I have not personally seen or done. I’ve been there, done that, and have lots of t-shirts! And I didn’t have to pay—in fact I was paid to be there. How can you beat that! I became fairly competent at “free diving” (holding your breath) and spear fishing. A lot of those exotic fish—I’ve speared and eaten. I can tell a lot of shark stories. Man—have I ever had my fill of tropical diving!
Tucked away in Psalm 37 is a wonderful truth that seems to elude many people—even many believers. Simply put—IF YOU WILL DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD, HE WILL DELIGHT IN YOU. What a deal! Can you imagine a more wonderful relationship than to be the DELIGHT of the very Sovereign of the universe?!?! Verse 23 says, “If the LORD DELIGHTS in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm.”
Question: If you don’t delight YOURSELF in the LORD, who will? I’m convinced that the rewards and benefits of doing so are beyond our wildest imaginations!
“Before you start looking for a peg, decide what hole you want to fill.”