Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

Are you ready to sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY? Today we can direct it to Jill…our firstborn. I won’t tell you how old she is…she may not approve. But her birth year was 1972…Medford, Oregon. That was just before we took on our first missionary assignment in the Marshall Islands. Lots of memories.

I need to get ready for a couple people coming for some work. The first one will be here about 10am. I’ll set him up to run a bunch of ash boards through my thickness planer. The second will seek some special sawmilling.

Be blessed as you navigate your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

As a valuable tool in the course of my work as a signmaker, I run a powerful piece of software on my computer called SignWizard. It requires a software key that allows my access and use of the program. The “fear of the LORD” is presented throughout Biblical revelation as the vital software key that unlocks or allows the correct use of the God-given software of human psychology. It serves as both a warning device and a guidance system for successfully managing the maze of human choices. The selected FOCUS VERSE from yesterday is one of many examples—“Let all the earth fear the LORD” (33:8). But if this vital feature is removed (or never installed), one’s life course can and will become a terrible convoluted mess—even though he may appear for a time to be “flourishing like a green tree in its native soil” (37:35).

David begins Psalm 36 by exploring the psychology of a sinner. He is so gripped by his inspiration that he labels it as an “oracle”—a special message from God. He says, in so many words, “Listen up, everyone—I have a word from the LORD for you—you need to understand some basics of cause and effect as it relates to how sin works. The fountainhead for it all flows out of failure to use the key. The main cause for sin is simply this: THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE HIS EYES.”

The correct use of human psychology is highlighted countless times in Scripture. Not the least is the greatest—the greatest requirement—“’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-39). No Bible reader/believer can plead ignorance when he botches things up by trying to run his software without the key. Speaking of fountainheads, David identifies the vital positive option this way: “For with you (God) is the fountain of life (the key for making it work right); in your light we see light” (36:9). We could easily spin off on the LIGHT vs DARK idea again. For now, let me simply ask this question: What do you see when you’re in the dark?

A component of human psychology is the emotion of “delight.” That’s a very important one since a person’s entire life tends to gravitate to where they find delight. Describing the proper psychology of the righteous David says, “They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights” (36:8). Then in Psalm 37, he urges the hearer to take control of their delight by decisive action—“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (37:4). That becomes a viable promise when our desires come into alignment with His desires. And here’s the wonderful deal—when we delight in His desires, He delights in ours and provides all the help and protection we need—“If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand” (37:23-24).