Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear special ones.

Another day, like a freight train, is heading right for us. So RUN! “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). Hey—another idea—isn’t it likely that it is this kind of RUNNING the caused Abram to be credited with righteousness?

I need to go tend to the big fire I began yesterday (burning the branches of that big sequoia), load up my track hoe, haul it to another property on the way home, and use it to load up a couple loads of logs. Then we plan to attend an 80th birthday party in the afternoon. What’s on your list?

In the sense we established above, we need to keep running even when we’re not running. We desperately need that kind of exercise. So don’t run out of running.

I need to run.

Love, Dad/Ray

Leaning to one’s own understanding is very easy. Normally, it’s the only understanding that a person has to work with—making it very difficult to embrace someone else’s understanding. Abram had clearly heard the LORD’S pronouncements that he would be the father of a huge nation—but he wasn’t a father at all yet. His own understanding seemed to be in conflict with God’s. After all, he was keeping up with the routine that normally made a baby—but still nothing after all these years! With a note of frustration, Abram can’t hide a little complaint—as if the LORD hadn’t noticed—“You have given me no children” (15:3). And the LORD said, “Oops! I guess I overlooked that. Thank you for calling that to my attention.” NOT! Instead, the LORD orders Abram to try to count the stars. Modern astronomers can’t even do that!

It seemed to work like a wake-up call. Abram made a decision to stop (at least try to stop) the yoyo cycle of living according to his own understanding. The record says, “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (15:6).

Biblical BELIEF: Understanding my essential need to embrace His understanding.