Insightful Musings on theScriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Greetings, dear people.
My head sure wants to shut down. But I’ll get this off with the hope that it makes a little bit of sense.
Becki and I just returned from visiting a senior friend in a “rest home.” He’s not really all that concerned with national foundations being destroyed—he’s more concerned with his own physical foundations falling apart. No matter how we slice it, growing old along with loss of freedoms and abilities is tough. He’s 80 years old. And here I am only 8 years behind him. 8 to 80! The adventure goes on.
Good night. Blessings.
Love, Dad/Ray.
If I were to spin this set of ideas so as to be relevant with some concerns afflicting a lot of conservative Americans today, I would put it something like this: “Whereas my physical safety, survival, and victory over physical enemies is at best temporal, I have chosen to prioritize my relationship with my Sovereign which has the transcending benefits of FOREVER. If that is so, why should I get all lathered up stockpiling guns, ammunitions, food, fortified shelters, and trying to cover all the bases for preserving my life when it’s all going down anyway?”
Even the verses that follow ring with contemporary relevance in regards to the “progressive Marxist agenda” heavy upon us. “For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:2-3).
I’m reminded of an entry in yesterday’s reading in Proverbs—“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” (Proverbs 29:25). But we have to ask, “What does SAFE look like? Does it mean the preservation of life as we have it or want it here on planet earth? Does it mean we can never be the victims of human hatred or violence? Does it mean we can never lose our lives at the hands of evil men, or never get our heads chopped off?” I don’t think it means that at all. Consider John the Baptist and what Jesus said about him (Luke 7:28)—yet he lost his head—to the glory of God.