Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

It’s overcast here—but not raining. Hope it doesn’t. I’d like to go check out a pretty big job to identify what trees will need to be harvested and milled for building a structure on that property. I was there for a time last evening along with Thano, Nicholas, and Kaden. But we ran out of light to scope out all the options. It’s over 200 acres of forest.

I have to wonder if I’m not a broken record…like I’m in a rut. I seem to keep promoting the same ideas. Someone may be inclined to ask, “Can’t Sparre talk about something fresh? It’s the same boring HEART AFTER GOD stuff over and over!” I guess we all need to monitor and decide what floats our boat.

Nicholas is here at my side begging me to make a simple little grass-cutting knife like Kaden has. So I’d better go now. Bye now. Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

The advice I have given our son, Nathaniel, who is a TBI survivor (traumatic brain injury), is that I believe the most important person in his life to be mindful and accepting of his brain injury condition is him—himself. His thinker has been damaged. Therefore, if he can muster sufficient objective reasoning and resolve, he is wise to not entirely trust his own thinking. It’s easy to draw a practical parallel to the fact of common disorder—the affliction of our NATURAL SIN NATURE. It is indeed a form of brain injury—one that plagues us all. It is a brain injuring, mind altering, and behavior modifying syndrome (SIN-drome). I reason that the most important person in my life to understand and accept this condition is me. If I don’t, I will never really agree with the true diagnosis of my condition, seek a solution, or accept treatment. The practical point to make is that we are unwise to entirely trust our own damaged thinking. Our brains (Biblical hearts) don’t really work right independent of the special touch of divine activation/enlightenment.

The psalmist seems to understand his own impaired condition and his essential need. He utters a very appropriate prayer when he prays, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” I judge that it’s appropriate for you and me to pray similarly whenever we open His Word, the Bible. It’s just not enough to read words printed on paper, we desperately need to ingest the transformational Spirit/Word of God. The benefits are most assured from the motivation of a HEART AFTER GOD.

Jesus recognized this universal condition and essential need. He understands that people left to the impulses of their own brain-injured condition will never get it. Following His resurrection He appeared to His disciples to confirm the fact of His resurrection. Their minds, up to that point, were still not connecting important dots. Jesus knew they needed help. It says, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Bingo. The lights came on. The spontaneous evangelistic revival that followed is evidence.

When that happens the psalmist can exclaim, “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors” (Psalm 119:24). And Agur confesses, “I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man’s (proper, healthy) understanding” (Proverbs 30:2). He gets it right when he also identifies the antidote: “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Proverbs 30:5).