Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

I think I will take on a little jog…since I feel so much better after being hit by that whatever bug. It would be nice if it served as a kind of inoculation against more bugs. I guess I’d rather take that approach than conform to the questionable “flu shot” movement.

The guy who scheduled me for cutting his oak yesterday called to cancel. So I had an unexpected opportunity to perform a logistical challenge that Andy was requesting…the loading and hauling back to our place of a 7’x13’ shed. We had to be crafty on how we did things without having heavy equipment available to assist with loading the shed onto the trailer. Hi-Lift jacks are indispensible. Other than having a section of the sheet-metal roof almost tear off, the haul went quite well.

Now I need to gear up for a fairly big tree-removal job tomorrow.

May your day be blessed by the only One Who can.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Jesus had just announced to His disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” The disciples could hardly believe their ears. The last time they were there the Jews had tried to stone Jesus. They judged His words to be an announcement akin to suicide. Jesus’ cryptic response to their baffled surprise is worth our attention. “Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light’” (John 11:9-10).

Please take courage by the fact that IF your life is dedicated to God and you remain on the course of serving Him, your entire life is marked by divine purpose—you have been assigned a certain amount of work to do within the framework of His plan—along with a certain period of time in which to do it. In the same way that you have no power to lengthen or shorten a day in this world, neither can you alter the window size and scope of God’s will which is set by Him. This is not to say that it is a rigid script that is not affected by your choices. I see it as a kind of partnership—“Laborers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9). But there is of great encouragement to know that, within these parameters, you become indestructible. No man, no devil, and no circumstance can thwart the unfolding of His will in your life as you “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7). So wandering away from THE SHEPHERD or stepping outside THE LIGHT (they are the same) automatically puts one in the dark where stumbling is the norm—where one is subjected to great peril. Be reminded of what Jesus just said in John 8:12: “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Think about it. Make determinations accordingly.

So the moral of the story is really quite straight forward and simple: STAY CLOSE TO THE SHEPHERD-LIGHT. He is your only eternal security.

Here’s a good additive for your memory tank—from Proverbs 21:30: “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.”