Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

Once again, I’m turning up more evidence that I’m losing it. I became so tangled up in the composition of the day, yet being very inspired with the Bible readings of the morning, that I carried on with the unreal sense that I had already completed and sent off my devotional composition—when I hadn’t. Phooey. Oh well. Old people regularly forget stuff.

More tree work and log hauling. I may even activate my track hoe to finish up. Then there’s sign layouts to create and send. There is also the congestion of domestic challenges—like how to put the pieces of our future together. We had some dialogue again yesterday with an architect friend relative to building a new home on this property. I presently have no idea at present how we could pull it off—but if we could, and the economy remained somewhat stable, it could be a good investment project—since we have almost nothing to lean on in the way of a nest-egg fund. We still live largely “hand-to-mouth.”

Blessings on your day—and your/our future. We definitely have reason to TRUST HIM.

Love, Dad/Ray.

You and I both know how easy it is to get sloppy in our living—where we just relax and hang out—just kind of go with the flow of pop culture and pop news—assuming that the things the newsmakers want us to think are important are truly important—even pop Christianity. (For an example of “pop Christianity,” I think back to our return to the USA from Vanuatu in 2001. We visited a few Christian book stores in the Denver area during that time surrounding our son’s hospitalization following his motorcycle crash and resulting brain injury. The obvious rage was “THE PRAYER OF JABEZ.” That even became the message theme within many of the churches we visited during that time.)

What really is the standard for measuring and/or identifying “his servants”—or one who “takes refuge in him?” I think David represents the best answer to that question we could find in verse 1 of this psalm: “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” If the truth be told, many of us would have to put it something like this: “I will extol the LORD sometimes—when things are going my way—His praise will occasionally be on my lips—like when I’m singing the words I read from the hymnal on Sunday morning.”

Hang on the word “condemned” in the FOCUS VERSE—“no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.” Hmm. Now try repeating famous Romans 8:1-2: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). In lacing these ideas together, I suggest that being one of His redeemed “servants,” and one “who takes refuge in him,” is one and the same with one who is “in Christ Jesus.” The volume of inspiration and meaning that can flow from connecting these dots seems inexhaustible.

In Proverbs 3 Solomon drops on us his famous set of ideas that I judge are in beautiful harmony with our thought processing above. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart (not partial or part time) and lean not on your own understanding (and opinions); in all your ways (physically, psychologically, spiritually) acknowledge him (seek Him, love Him, serve Him, knowing that’s why you’re here), and he will make your paths straight (the zigzagging of being pulled and kicked around by opinions and feelings will be minimized—allowing the straightest course right into His eternal presence)” (Proverbs 3:5-6).