Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good morning, dear people.
Rain is falling. It’s dark out. So I mainly see my own reflection as I try to look out this window. Suddenly, I’m recognizing here a lesson-bearing illustration. Without the illumination of the Word to see the big picture of God’s plans and purposes, all I can see is myself reflected against my “glass darkly.” What a puny worldview that renders!
I had a little fun this morning as a result of “Googling” TO TELL THE TRUTH. I watched one little YouTube segment of that old television game show. You ought to try it.
Perhaps you have discerned that these devotionals of late are being recycled from my archive of 2010. But my memory is so bad that I have a hard time remembering what I wrote back then. By rethinking the passages, editing my composition with additions or subtractions, discussing it with Becki, it’s equivalent to pumping out new stuff. Maybe it’s good to have a bad memory…if it causes God’s Word and our walk of faith to be a constant ongoing adventure of exploration and discovery…constantly fresh and new.
Becki just called me (we tend to use our cell phones as an intercom system) to say she was ready for our walk/jog. It’s still dark. But just yesterday we picked up a couple of safety red light flashers that we can hang on our jackets as an aid to make ourselves more visible to the high speed traffic…people rushing off to work. Oops!...we forgot to get one for Max.
Blessings on your day.
Love, Dad/Ray.
As a kid, I recall occasionally watching a television game show—it was called “TO TELL THE TRUTH.” It featured various people with unique occupations or life experiences. The host would make an introduction something like this: “Our present guest is Ray Sparre. He, together with his wife, Becki, have raised their four children while living and working as missionaries over a period of 28 years in four Pacific Island countries—Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.” This guest would be sitting with two other people who were both claiming to be Ray Sparre, with the same background story. Each would stand and introduce himself, “My name is Ray Sparre.” There was a panel of four main players whose challenge was to ask questions of the three within the time allotted as a means for choosing which Ray Sparre they judged to be the true Ray Sparre. At the end of the question time the panel was required to announce their selection, telling why they chose #1, #2, or #3. Then the host would say, “Will the true Ray Sparre please stand.” It was most common for the panel to select a deceiver rather than the true one.
There is a good deal of guessing going on in determining who are the true and genuine people of God and who are con artists or counterfeits. Sometimes it is quite apparent, and other times it is quite difficult. Paul made reference to this matter back in 1 Timothy 5:24-25: “The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.” (That is, they cannot be hidden before the omnipresence and omniscience of God. Hebrews 4:13.) “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness’” (2 Timothy 2:19).
There have been a few times in my sojourn where a unique blend of circumstances put me into a circle where I was misunderstood, misrepresented, and judged as a phony. In those instances I seemed to have no other foundation than this one—that the Lord knew who I was—and I knew who I was—even though virtually everyone in that circle judged me as a deceiver. It really is a good foundation to have. In fact, I would highly recommend it to you—that you accept “God’s solid foundation” as YOUR FOUNDATION.
To be sure, there is coming a day when the Sovereign Host will say, “Will the true followers of my Son please stand—and enter into the joy of your Lord.” And it’s no game show.