Insightful Musings on theScriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good morning, compassionate people.
And I hope you can extend some patient compassionate consideration my way. You’re going to laugh at what I did. In typical fashion of advancing to another day, I simply and mindlessly added a number to the date and chapter listings—coming up with June 31. Maybe I’m losing it and my age is starting to sedate my head. Becki had a good laugh when I showed her what I had thoughtlessly done. But rather than change anything, perhaps I’ll just leave it be and let you join in the laughter/pity. That, of course, means that I read Proverbs 31 when I should have gone back to Proverbs 1. Oh well.
At 6pm this evening, Thano and I are slated to meet at Pacific City with our sailing kayaks. We will join in a group outing with 3 other similar craft—5 sailing kayaks at once in the ocean to catch the nice evening NW winds. Andy, our older son, is being set up to operate one of them. It will be his first time to ever do so. Should be interesting.
May your day go quite well—all things considered—including the fact that you’re probably getting a little old too.
Love, Dad/Ray.
Maybe that’s what’s wrong with so many liberal-left high-level politicians, judges, and rulers who hand down crazy rulings—they’re drunk! “It is not for kings…to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees (like the CONSTITUTION), and deprive all the oppressed of their rights” (vv. 4-5)—like their Constitutional rights, etc.—in some cases ascribing special rights to aliens and sexual deviants which, at the same time, violate the rights of the law-abiding citizenry.
The FOCUS VERSE seems to give legitimacy to the use of pain-killers and mind-altering substances on behalf of people who are on their death beds, people afflicted with chronic pain, and people with psychological disorders. But I don’t discern legitimacy for their routine use on the part of those blessed with a sound mind, a sound body, and a sound biblical faith. How can one possessing a passionate HEART AFTER GOD, who truly trusts the Lord, and who lives in the “joy of the LORD,” need to resort to mental sedation? Besides, Jesus was the One who assigned responsibility to our management of our minds and emotions. In very clear terms He issued this command: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me” (John 14:1). Hmm. Is it revolutionary to our thinking to consider that worries and anxieties could be forms of disobedience?—like forms of sin at worst, or forms of mismanagement at least? Think about it. Manage about it.
The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.”