Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

Since Becki is facing so much of the oversight of Nicholas, she isn’t free to take off with me on a walk/jog. But I will do that little excursion as soon as I launch this—another revised 2012 entry.

The part I picked up for Thano’s Ranger yesterday is a used distributor. Replacing that is part of a process of elimination before going so far as to tear into the engine to expose the cam shaft.

May this day be a good one for you.

Love, Dad/Ray.

If I can comprehend the heart attitude of what it is like to be a father, I have a basis for comprehending the heart attitude of Creator God—our Supreme Father. A healthy well-balanced father has a special level of love and care for his children. I won’t claim to be perfectly “healthy and well-balanced,” but I sure know something about those attachment bonds and feelings that accompany my own experience as a father. Drawing such a parallel can provide us with a huge amount of comfort, confidence, and trust in approaching this Father God. It gives us a wonderful basis for our approaching “the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16). And now that my age and experience equips me to see more clearly the BIGGER PICTURE, I can’t seem to find any time in my entire existence that is not a time of need—a time when I am absolutely dependent upon Him.

Far be it from any of us to be duped by the notion that saying (religion) the “Lord’s Prayer” is one and the same with praying (relationship) the “Lord’s Prayer” at heart level. After all, you can teach a parrot to say prayers. To help reinforce that awareness, let’s briefly review the main components of this prayer outline that Jesus presented to His disciples.

FATHER—My Sovereign Designer and Source, to Whom I am accountable.

HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME—He is to be revered as absolutely holy and worthy of my worship and praise.

YOUR KINGDOM COME—I make it my highest priority to comply with His Kingdom rule in my own life, and promote that orientation in the lives of those around me.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD—Even the essentials of my physical life are made possible by His design and provision.

FORGIVE US OUR SINS—I need forgiveness for my own violations of His Kingdom rule in my life.

FOR WE ALSO FORGIVE EVERYONE WHO SINS AGAINST US—Oh really? But here is the Jesus-established standard for receiving His forgiveness—being an extension of God’s forgiveness by being a forgiver.

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION—Lord, help me to be a good student who learns by means of wisdom (A HEART AFTER GOD) rather than by means of stupid (a heart after self and everything else but God)—the result of yielding to destructive temptations.

Please say, “Amen.”