Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear one.

Partly overcast nice morning in which to do our morning walk/jog on our own place. Dandy losing his ball was the only negative part of the excursion. Returning to the studio, I just finished preparing a bunch of vinyl graphics that I need to get applied to two pickups this morning. I may need to punch our more sawmill work to finish the cut list for a customer’s project. Now I’m waiting for the call to the breakfast table.

Among other things, I also need to prepare for an apple cider party slated for tomorrow. Thano’s boys will be here and the Andy/Delaine gang will be coming from Dallas. I’m renting a press outfit from a rental shop in Oregon City. Our tree is heavy with beautiful apples. It’s not reasonable that we could avoid absolutely all the worms. But since when has a little worm juice hurt anyone? After all, protein is an important part of our diet.

May your day be blessed—and may you be mindful of the blessing thereof.

Love, Dad/Ray.

I have reason to believe that one of the greatest shortcomings of human beings in general is failure to make adequate use of their God-given gift of reason. Present-day real life as well as history blend together to reveal a constant bent in humans toward doing and believing dumb things rather than reasonable and wise things. Even in the realm of faith, I do not believe that God desires that we detach ourselves from reason. Although the requirement given by God to Abraham was humanly unreasonable concerning offering his beloved son as a sacrifice, Abraham processed it with reason (let’s call it “creative reason”) and passed the test with flying colors.

Take another look at Isaiah 1:18. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD…” (KJV) To put the main idea in other words, I think God was essentially saying, “Please exercise the gift of reason that I have vested in you and set your course in life according to these two facts that you cannot change on your own: (1) You are a hopeless sinner. (2) I am a Mighty and Gracious Savior.”

As far as practical guidance in godliness is concerned, Romans 12:1-2 could very well be regarded as the central theme verses of the whole Bible. I’ll quote it here in the KJV for two reasons—it’s the version in which I learned it as a little kid, and it also makes use of the word “reason” (a common practice among preachers is to use words and phrases best suited for their “sermonizing”). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies (including the rest of you, of course) a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your REASONABLE service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

I have no alternative but to reason that full surrender (as full as is knowingly possible) to the Lordship of Christ is entirely reasonable (all things considered)—leaving anything less as unreasonable.