Raymond P. Sparre Northwest University class of '67
These devotional messages are personalized as messages to Ray's granddaughter, Samara.
6 January 2017
Good chilly morning, Samara.
It says 18 degrees here at present. That kind of cold will interfere with some of my day. At least we have plenty of God-made wood fuel to keep us warm. Just for fun, maybe I’ll stick on a photo of the wood stove at work to provide its life-giving heat.
Speaking of heat again, I think it’s clear that God prefers that we be hot Christian believers—as compared with cold, or worst of all, just warm. Therefore, it’s very important to understand CAUSE and EFFECT—what causes heating and what causes cooling—and make sure we practice heating. The Word of God is to serve as a woodshed. Without feeding the fire—it goes out. Duh!
Have a nice day in the cold, staying warm on the outside while you stay hot on the inside.
love, Tua.
Proverbs 6 Focus: “For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life…” Proverbs 6:23.
I’m going to do things different today. I’d like to simply divide this chapter up into general principles or lessons for life. Let’s see how it works out. I hope you will take time to read the chapter to see how well these ideas fit.
Verses 1-5: Don’t ever co-sign on a loan where you risk being bound to pay off a debt for someone else. Good general advice.
Verses 6-8: Planning and preparing for the future are essential relatives to WISDOM.
Verses 9-11: Laziness in the present will never render good benefits in the future—only regrets.
Verses 12-15: A deceitful con-artist may get what he wants in the short run, but never really wins in the long run—in the outcome.
Verses 16-19: If we are to live to please God, it is of vital importance to understand not just what God likes, but what He hates.
Verses 20-35: It is required of true WISDOM to understand both the dangers and damages of sexual deviation, along with HOW to avoid them.
“Everyone is born ignorant—but it takes hard work to remain stupid.” ~ Benjamin Franklin ~
