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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29 June 11
Good morning, dear ones.
There’s a little “rug rat” crawling around on the floor near me—Nicholas. He’s figured out how to do the crawling thing and is now getting into everything on that level…which is a lot.
Lots to squeeze into this day. Tomorrow I plan to spend some time helping out Mick and Darlene Owings with their move to Leavenworth, Washington.
May your day be blessed as you “practice His presence”—because He is the ever-present One anyway.
Love, Dad/Ray
29 June 2011
Psalm 58
Focus: “The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.” Psalm 58:10.
It’s amusing to read the introductory notes attached to this psalm. It’s to the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” OK—so now we know how to sing it—right? Well—whether or not you know that tune, you do need to be tuned (or retuned) to NOT DESTROY. And escaping that status is, in fact, the glory of the Gospel. The natural SIN NATURE is definitely a destructive one—and is headed for destruction—since it is naturally in league with the arch enemy whose aim and intent is to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10), and whose end is destruction (Revelation 20:10). (Read also 2 Thessalonians 1.)
It’s also amusing to note that this psalm addresses crooked politicians. I guess they’ve always been infesting human history like vermin. The first three verses strike me as being quite relevant to our contemporary political environment. “Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.” (You have probably heard this in regards to a famous modern-day politician. Question: How do you know when he is lying? Answer: When his mouth moves.)
One other trivial amusement is the NIV mention of a “slug” in verse 8—translated “snail” in the KJV. Both are yucky slimy creatures who appear to be “melting away as it moves along.” That is a good metaphor describing one on a destructive life course. (Question of relativity: What did the slug say when he crawled up onto the back of a turtle? Answer: “Wheee!”)
I don’t really resonate with the pleasure of bathing my “feet in the blood of the wicked.” But I do resonate with the main idea behind the symbolism. It’s simply a matter of LOVING WHAT GOD LOVES AND HATING WHAT GOD HATES—i.e., loving righteousness and hating evil. Unfortunately, there is a good deal of crooked politics in all of us, and the world with its media all around us is stuffed with subtle (or obvious) contaminating influences of encouragement in that direction. That’s why the heart-level prayer standard set by Jesus is so profound and vital: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven…and deliver us from evil (the evil one).” But, to be sure, He’s not going to deliver me from EVIL if I voluntarily make friends with it. Duh!
Perhaps I’m moving from preaching to meddling—but here’s a question to consider: If or when I view for “entertainment” a movie, for example, that applauds perversity, mocks righteousness, and counters godliness, am I not engaging in a form of vicarious evil? My warning is simple: BEWARE. (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)
“A true love of God must begin with a delight in his holiness.” - Jonathan Edwards