Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good day, dear ones.

Nice. There’s sunshine out there. Becki and I enjoyed some of it already when we did our walk/jog up the hill for our walk/jog. I did a little unexpected exercise last evening too—when Becki sighed, “I wish you could go with me to my water aerobics.” I thought a little about it—and finally said, “OK—I’ll go.” I did. In so doing I was not in the presence of people I can identify well with. I was goofing off and bobbing underwater about every chance I had while trying to conform to those exercises. But, as far as I know, no one in that group climbed out of the pool with any wet hair—all were dry-headed. On the other hand, I guess I don’t have much to worry about. The time it takes me to fix my hair is about zero.

I plan to work around our place today. I just wish there wasn’t so much of it. I was hoping to do some cleanup of waste wood and burning—but the crazy Fire Department telephone hotline says there is a burn ban as of December 31. What?! That seems nuts. But such is life under the control of our wonderful bureaucrats.

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

If you don’t choose to DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD—who will?—who will cause you to do so? Will you wait for some sensational preaching ministry to get you all fired up with this delight? Will you look for some super-charged revival to come along that hypes you up to make you want to sing and shout and dance about? The main point to make here is that DELIGHTING YOURSELF IN THE LORD is a matter of choice—of which you and I are responsible. A HEART AFTER GOD is not caught like the common cold. It’s not fueled by some burst of emotion. It’s a choice—a personal decision. According to Biblical authority, LOVING GOD passionately is not an option—it’s a command—the very FIRST one, according to Jesus. And it’s a command for good reason. Why? Because it is the ONLY WAY to make life work right—toward satisfying the deepest longings and desires of our hearts—desires and longings actually deposited there by the Creator Himself—and only fully satisfied by means of applying that command to the best of our choosing.

Hang on the word DELIGHT. A form of the word comes up again later in this psalm. I’ll quote from the KJV: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way” (Psalm 37:23). Did you hear that? Do you get the point? This is probably one of the most powerful truths of Scripture—IF YOU AND I CHOOSE TO DELIGHT IN HIM, HE CHOOSES TO DELIGHT IN US!—He actually delights in the course we set for our lives in partnership with Him. Make no mistake about it, the GOOD MAN of that statement is one and the same with the man who chooses to DELIGHT HIMSELF IN THE LORD—who chooses a HEART AFTER GOD. I can think of no greater delight in living than the confidence that the LORD delights in my living!

I really have no interest in chiding anyone—or in using my Bible as a hammer. But I suppose it could sound that way as I spin Proverbs 6:9-11 to conform to the priority above. That’s where Solomon hypothetically gets in the face of a lazy person—“How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.” So, hypothetically, I could spin it this way: “How long will you be satisfied with being a half-hearted believer? When will you get up from your lazy conformity with the world—just hanging out with a non-passionate superficial faith? Just be prepared to face emptiness, disillusionment, depression, and spiritual starvation.”

All the major choices of life call for a careful weighing of the related pros and cons. If one is serious about doing such weighing using the scale of Biblical revelation, how could anyone intelligently or intentionally not choose a HEART AFTER GOD?