Insightful Musings on theScriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good morning, dear ones.
Becki and I finally got in one of our walk/jog excursions this morning. We haven’t made that happen for several days. Now we face a rather hot summer-like day with a long list of objectives. I’ve already given some help to our neighbors with their need to clean up after demolishing their old house. And since I still have not dropped that big tree where I’m milling, I may try to get that done right away. I have ran out of log resource and need another on the ground in order to carry on with the big cut list.
Have a blessed day.
Love, Dad/Ray.
Try to imagine a person with disabilities who takes custody of a large inheritance in the form of gold. That bag of gold represents his resource for living the rest of his life. But whereas it’s quite heavy and awkward to carry home, while operating his cane at the same time, he decides to leave the bag of gold on a park bench with plans to return in a few hours with a friend to help carry. What is the likelihood of that bag being there when he returns? Highly unlikely. Sure—it’s a rather absurd story. But I hope it serves to support the obvious point that something of great value calls for great care in guarding and protecting. Indeed, over and over the author stresses the great value ascribed to WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING. For example, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her” (Proverbs 3:13-15). Also, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding” (4:7).
I see no contradiction between these directives and the one in verse 23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” The value of a precious metal like gold is only so because of the near-universal value that people down through history have ascribed to it. That sense of value seems to be embedded in human hearts all over the world. But what if a highly skilled con-artist came along and tempted you to believe that used brown paper bags were now of higher value than gold—and that if you would simply give him your gold, he would give you a special deal—an equal weight, pound for pound, of the finest used brown paper bags money could buy in exchange for your gold. We’ve slipped over into absurdity again. But how is the deceptive value of chasing after worthless stuff in preference to SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGTEOUSNESS any less absurd?
Bottom line: Your HEART AFTER GOD is of infinite value. Guard and protect it at all cost.
For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.”