Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, special ones.

When I rose this morning just after 6am, two bucks and a doe were feeding in Dolores’ flowers along the roadside…about 60 feet away from the RV trailer we are sleeping in. With the cold of the morning, we had good cause for snuggling in bed.

The senior’s camp meeting event at nearby Hungry Horse offered the opportunity to meet more old friends. And they’re all getting older. Funny thing.

I’m going to run off now into Kalispell to have a shop print up a banner for Dave & Dolores’s 50th bash on Saturday.

Be blessed as you run off and do your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Please don’t be duped by the notion that you can read this passage between verses 9 and 13, then go out and successfully do what it says on your own, by yourself, with the determination and effort of your own human will. It ain’t gonna happen! And to prove this point, TRY IT! The fact remains that ONLY ONE PERSON IN ALL THE UNIVERSE CAN TRULY LIVE OUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE—CHRIST HIMSELF. AND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN IS IN AND THROUGH HIM!

My own experience certainly bears this out. Being the human being that I am, and left to my own resources, my spiritual zeal tends to be a “yo-yo”—up and down, rise and fall—influenced and dictated by my environment, circumstances, other attractions, and weariness. But Paul here promotes a do-able standard that has nothing to do with such externals. It has everything to do with the conditional requirement of Romans 12:1-2 and Galatians 2:20. (Be sure you are familiar with these vital New Testament concepts.)

NEVER BE LACKING IN ZEAL. We are called here to excitement and enthusiasm—indeed passion. That requires a serious maintenance program that continually replenishes that which is continually depleted. It involves regular intake and exercise in the WORD OF TRUTH (2 Timothy 2:15).

KEEP YOUR SPIRITUAL FERVOR. You can only keep something you have, and have the power to keep. God knows you CAN keep your spiritual fervor IF you want to, and IF you do so on His terms—by His standard—which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

SERVING THE LORD. Here, in simple concise form, is the PURPOSE OF YOUR EXISTENCE! If we are not serving Him, we are automatically serving something or someone very inferior. If Biblical revelation is TRUTH, that’s just the way it is! We are presented with only those two basic options.

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. SERVE THE LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing” (Psalm 100:1-2, KJV).