Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear people.

New day. New experiences. When will it ever end? Maybe soon on this planet—but never on the other side. Are we having fun yet?

Sign work, sawmill work, woodwork, homework, ski work—all kinds of work is looking at me. Before launching any of that, Becki and I plan to do a little walk/jog before she run to her Woodburn Bible Study.

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Simple. I like simple. My little brain goes into overload rather quickly when things get too complicated. So I like how David begins this psalm with the simple premise of his life—a reaffirmation of his HEART AFTER GOD. Question: How close do we come to establishing that premise for our own lives?—for our today?—every day? After all, that is exactly what the Sovereign LORD is prescribing as a premise for our living—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38, KJV). Therefore, I have to reason that that’s all that really matters! That premise is more important that physical survival—more important than living life on this planet. “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands” (Ps 63:3-4).

As I read verses 4 to 6 of Psalm 18 this morning, my memory is recalling an experience I had in Hawaii while attending a mission conference on the island of Maui several years ago. David’s description seems to fit that experience like a glove—and, like David, I have no idea how I survived. It’s definitely not my fault I’m still here! “The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears” (Psalm 18:4-6).

During some free time, my two boys and I rented a couple surfboards and a boogie board and went to a beach where the surf was huge, where lots of pro-type surfers where congregated. At one point I caught a big wave with the boogie board, but another guy caught the same wave and cut me off—so that my course was now altered toward the nice section of sandy beach—there was now no way to avoid being slammed up against the rock cliff. When those big waves broke against that rock wall, it was like what you would imagine if you were to take a little critter like a mouse, dropping him into a jar half full of water, then shaking that jar as vigorously as possible for about 20 seconds. Then pausing for 10 seconds before doing it again—then again—and again—at least 5 times. Very slowly during those gaps between waves, I made it over to the edge of that sandy beach—finally escaping the torrent. Whew! Dumb, dizzy, disoriented, like a half-drowned mouse, but not dead. I had a hard time believing it. After some resting, yet still not feeling quite right, I was in a store with Becki later that afternoon. I stooped down to pick up something on a lower shelf, and it was like that angle of my head breached a dam in my sinus cavity that had been jammed full of sea water—a gush of water poured out through my nose—and I left a sizeable puddle on the floor of that store. But I felt better.

What if that had been the end for me? Well—no big deal. How so? Because even then I believe I could honestly say, “I love you, O LORD, my strength.” That’s about all that really matters. I have the supporting belief that “…in all things God works for the good of those who love him, (even if they engage in crazy stuff) who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Before signing off I want to raise this question: Why does God make loving Him the first and foremost premise for our living? Does He have some ulterior motive to make us miserable? Is He just flaunting His sovereign rule over us? I see it more clearly than ever—He prescribes loving Him because He loves us—knowing that it is precisely for our own good. Indeed loving God and seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness is the absolute best and simplest form of psycho-spiritual therapy ever given to mankind! Many will argue that fact. But to our own harm we humans tend to make it all complicated by getting all kinds of other stuff stacked up to replace or neutralize that simple premise.