Please Wait – Computer starting up

When I arrive in work in the morning the first thing I do is start up the computer. The second thing on the list is to make a cup of tea which is much appreciated after my 20km cycle in the pitch dark and pouring rain. There is logic behind this programmed sequence of early morning events, namely, by the time I am sitting down to a brew of Earl Grey blend the computer is finally ready to go.

When I left the screen some 10 minutes earlier it was displaying a message ‘Please wait – Computer applying settings’. I would often stare into the cyberspace portal and wonder what exactly is it applying and where and why? If someone were to ask for an explanation of the process of starting a computer the best answer one with limited knowledge of the black box could possibly give would simply be that which is displayed on the screen ‘Please wait’ and hope that in the end it works.

However dig a little deeper and learn about system registries, autoexec.bat and other startup configurations and you can give a more informed explanation of what is going on behind the scenes.  Still further and you are soon unraveling the world of Ram and Rom and their Mother Board. The point is simple. The message ‘computer applying settings’ can be understood at many different levels.

We can draw a parallel here with our approach of the study of the Word of God.  The deeper our understanding the greater the appreciation of what God has done for us and the better equipped and prepared we are for the times of testing in our lives.

I have mentioned elsewhere that the study of the scriptures in their original languages greatly enhances our understanding of God. Be wary however of those people who appeal to scripture in the original tongues as an authoritative basis for a particular doctrine or teaching. It doesn’t work like that. It will not solve every theological dilemma and, as with acquiring knowledge in any domain, for every question you receive an answer to ten more are raised that you had never even thought about before.

So iIf you have already been giving it some though then why not consider adding a knowledge of either Greek or Hebrew grammer as tools to enhance your study of the Bible?.

‘A little effort can yield a large reward’

The Scribbling Scribe, 15^th September 2009