Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, special people.

Lousy night. Don’t feel up to a jog.

Overwhelmed with work. It’s really a good time to quote from 2 Corinthians 4:16-17—“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” This head cold, viral bug, or whatever it is, has left me feeling like that “wasting away” thing has escalated by about 100 years. Just another little reminder of what we’re all made of—frail flesh, at best.

May your frail and feeble flesh also feel the foundations and fortunes of this fine faith…forever.

Love, Dad/Ray.

The whole of verse 16 reads: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

I hope you can see yourself represented by these words of Jesus. We who are fenced in and penned up within a different period of time, about 2000 years distant from that particular “sheep pen,” still have the option of becoming one of His sheep. “We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

We all know that there is only ONE Jesus Christ, only ONE heaven, only ONE source of authority (ONE Bible, ONE Word of God), and all that—but it’s still very easy to allow the picture to become blurred by all the controversies that abound within the flock. There are a lot of different spins that different sheep will apply to the Gospel, to the Scriptures, and to the voice of the LORD. Without attempting a lot more comment, I would just like to encourage you to narrow down the fundamental priorities of your task and responsibility—your homework assignment (How about calling it your “heart-work assignment?”). This assignment is both simple and taxing—but must be done. (1) DETERMINE WHO AND WHAT IS THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD. There’s a lot of noise out there—some of which claiming to be “His voice,” but isn’t. (2) DETERMINE WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF BEING HIS SHEEP (The bottom line, of course, is A HEART AFTER GOD), and (3) DO YOUR UTMOST TO LINE UP. If we will do what we can in response to His Word, He will come along side to help us do what we can’t. That’s how it works.

I am confident that your pursuit of these priorities will be richly rewarded.