Monthly Archives: February 2025

“Even Computers Need a Rest Sometimes!”

On February 11, 2025 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

Jumpy cursor! I was trying to grade student assignments, and my cursor was jumping around like a Mexican jumping bean. I would start typing something, and then I would be on a different line. Here is the sort of non-sentences I was ending up with:

be Please see my respolownse video.

Of course, what I was trying to write was the following:

Please see my response video below.

I was beginning to think of another reason to call this little symbol on my computer a “cursor”! At first, I thought the mouse might be the problem, so I checked out the mouse. I cleaned it. I turned it off. I tried my wife’s mouse. I checked for updates for my mouse driver.

Nada.

I checked my settings. Everything seemed okay.

I googled the problem. Many helpful suggestions were available. Most of them I had already tried.

Toward the end of the suggestions (and near the end of my rope), I encountered this novel notion: Turn off the computer and leave it off for a few minutes. I immediately thought of the British comedy “The IT Crowd”. When the support guy picks up the ringing telephone, he immediately asks, “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

So, I tried turning it off and on again. No more jumping! May God and Brit-coms be praised! Years ago, I had a computer expert tell me that I didn’t need to turn off my computer. It would work just fine if I didn’t. Even experts can be wrong.

However, I am not trying to give you advice concerning your computer. I’m telling this story to give you advice about you. You also need some rest. So do I.

Genesis 2 tells us that even God rested. Amazing, isn’t it! Yet, you and I take on more and more, sleeping less and less. We need to be careful not to work harder than God does.

When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” he meant business. We should mean business too when it comes to the business of rest.

Good night, sleep tight, and don’t let your big toes fight!

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“Lives as Well as Lips”

On February 5, 2025 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Praise the LORD!

             Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

                        for his steadfast love endures forever!

Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,

                        or declare all his praise?

            Blessed are they who observe justice,

                        who do righteousness at all times!” (Psalm 106:1-3, English Standard Version)

“He talks a good game,” is a common saying that suggests a person is all talk and no work or skill. I wonder these days about those of us who claim the name of Christ. In particular, I wonder about the author of this blog post. Consistency has never been my middle name.

The psalmist asks a question about who can talk about the mighty deeds of the LORD and sound forth his praise. He immediately answers his own question. The ones who can trumpet God’s mighty deeds and praise him are those who consistently practice justice and righteousness.

The biblical Hebrew words translated “justice” and “righteousness” sometimes have a judicial connotation. They suggest “deciding what is right on a case-by-case basis. But often, the words suggest treating people fairly.

Do I do that? Sometimes, yes. But the psalm demands more of me than a wimpy little “sometimes”. Praising God requires a fulltime commitment to and practice of treating God and people fairly. Does my life itself praise God consistently? Afraid not.

Derek Kidner comments that, “ ‘. . . to show forth all his praise’ (2) will take lives as well as lips; and while even our sins throw his grace into relief, as the psalm will show, our obligation to righteousness is total and uninterrupted.”[1]

As I have noted before in these posts, my twelve-step sponsor never tires of reminding me to JKDTNRT. These letters stand for “Just keep doing the next right thing.” He knows what I need to hear and what I need to do.

The rest of Psalm 106 goes on to highlight the fact that Israel’s history does not suggest consistency in how the nation lived its life. Quite the contrary. They messed up again and again and again and . . . . Well, you get the picture.

And so do we all. But consistent living should be our aim. Treating God, other people, the world, ad even ourselves fairly is what we are called to do. May we, may I, do so today!

[1]Derek Kidner, Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16 of Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. IVP/Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1975), 412.

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