Online Bible commentary and Bible study material are available through www.abiblecommentary.com as well as bumchecks.com; www.bumchecks.com lists 20 things to look for when considering a "Bible commentary."

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Steve Jobs versus God

It's likely you've heard of Steve Jobs. Jobs is the cofounder of Apple, the company that pioneered the market for home computers many years ago. In more recent years Apple (thanks in large part to the ingenuity of Jobs) has taken the world by storm with its iPods, iPhones and iPads. Apple, which teetered on the verge of bankruptcy during a time when Jobs stepped away from the company, has roared back to become one of the world's most profitable corporations.

The world naturally took notice when Steve Jobs announced last week that he was stepping downtake time to give thanks to God has taken the first step down a deadly slippery slope.

Psalm 107 develops this truth in a powerful way. The psalm begins with this exhortation: "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever" (Psalm 107:1). In the 43 verses of that psalm the writer presents different situations in which people faced death: people lost in the desert, some who were terribly oppressed and in chains, sailors on a storm-tossed sea. In each case they were delivered from their dire circumstances.

The refrain that follows each of these examples of rescue is the same: "Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psalm