Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good spring rain morning to you, special people.

TAt least that’s my local weather report from the vantage of this window…spring rain. I was able to set up the mill outside in the open yesterday in beautiful weather and finally produce a key piece done for this mural frame project…a 4”x15”x 27’. I also extracted from that same log some of the other components for the structure. Then before shutting down around 8:30pm I was able to fold up the mill and put it back under the roof of the mill shed. I’ll carry on with that project today.

Time to get moving in directions other than this devotional. However, don’t you think it’s possible to even do our practical work with a devotional posture? After all, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Col. 3:23-24). Here we are preaching again. Moving right along…

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray

Pay close attention here to the distinction between what a person can do to himself, and what he can’t do to himself. Jesus points out that he can EXALT himself—or he can HUMBLE himself—but he cannot determine or control the long-range outcome of those choices. My simple application puts it this way: If my main objective in life is all wrapped up in me, my, and mine—to accumulate a bunch of stuff and establish a high image for myself, I may get some favorable results for awhile, but the ultimate price tag plays out to be the exact opposite of what I’m wanting. If, however, my main objective is to worship and please my Creator, recognizing that this is the very purpose of my existence, then I will choose to humbly and earnestly seek Him at every point. Jesus promises that this orientation will cause me to ultimately win benefits far beyond my wildest dreams and imaginations—like, heaven, like, eternal life, like who could ever achieve that on their own?!

Have you observed that it is a self-defeating impossibility to truly worship God with a big head?—with an attitude that says, “O Lord, you sure are lucky to have me on Your planet!” Oh phooey! Get it straight. Within the Kingdom of God, exaltation is never achieved by seeking it. Therefore heaven is NOT a goal to be pursued—because that will contaminate the whole equation with more of ME—my comfort, my pleasure, my future, etc. Rather heaven is simply a wonderful byproduct of A HEART AFTER GOD—loving Him, serving Him, and personally seeking first His kingdom rule. “For thine (not mine, not yours) is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever” (Matthew 6:13). I hope you can say a resounding, “Amen!”