7 - Passwords

God's Computer Manual

At shallow Jordan River crossings Gileadite soldiers identified the enemy Ephraimite soldiers with a strange password. The password, “Shibboleth” was not able to be pronounced correctly by the enemy soldiers. The enemy soldiers, all 42,000 of which were not able to pronounce the word correctly, were put to death. Judges 12:5, 6.

Today, passwords are spoken, typed and handwritten in many ways, but the purpose is always the same; to select and protect.

Choosing a Password

The greatest evil incidents have in most cases been possible because of some sloppy management of security measures. Probably the most obvious is the choice and storage of passwords.

In spite of repeated emphatic security training in the choice of passwords, people still foolishly choose street numbers, family names, familiar objects, and hobby items as their passwords.

There are even computer virus programs that can test thousands of possible passwords to discover an access code, in an instant, all automatically. 

Storage of a Password

The second foolish thing people do, especially in the business world, is create a list of passwords sometimes even with a description of where each password is used. As time passes, the old list is put in the trash dumpster. Dumpster Divers are evil individuals who climb down into trash dumpsters and search through discarded paperwork THAT WAS NOT SHREDDED. Diligence often pays off with finding someone’s password list. If possible, don’t store the whole password in the same list. Make them cryptic, non-sensical.

Sending a Password.

This practice is terribly dangerous. Search the web for best safeguards and processes.

Psalms 71:18

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8 - K.I.S.S. Computing

God's Computer Manual 

“Keep It Simple, Stupid!” has been voiced in my hearing more than I can remember. It does remind me that anyone can string lots of words together. There are those high-minded people who can use words far above our language levels that only serve to annoy and confuse.

Some years ago roadside signs were more pleasurable than today, as were the Berma-Shave signs. A series of 6 to 8 signs with a couple words on each sign gave the passerby a thought, verse, or rule to live by. The style of these signs has made great effect on my authoring through the years.

The book in Proverbs in the Bible uses much of this KISS principle in guiding you and I toward a life more pleasing to God.

The gospel according to Mark, compared to the other gospels, is smaller in text because he wrote about our Savior to the Romans who were military-minded and always on the move.

A verse comes to mind in Ecclesiastes 5:2: 

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

 Psalms 71:18
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9 - Money/Data Transfers

God's Computer Manual

 It’s almost scary to think of transferring money or critical data via on-line services these days. Personal information, bank, and credit data only start the list of information we can never unsend once hackers or nosy terminal neighbors lay their hands on. 

Fancy encryption software has been developed and continually revised to protect its users. Every hour that goes by, evil people find new ways to steal money and other objects of greed.

My Bible reading led me through a passage of secure transfer of gold and silver that reminded me of God’s principles of safety of possessions… especially His. 

In Ezra 8:24-34 is the transfer wrought with many witnesses at the sending. Also were many witnesses at the receipt and counting of the freewill offering for the church in Jerusalem. 

The principles of transfer are not only plain about witnesses, but also written records of all that was done. 

Because data entry via computers is so fast and efficient, we are doublely responsible to maintain a good ‘paper trail’ of our actions between individuals and businesses. This is even more important as we manage the offerings of our churches as being ‘the Lord’s money’. 

Psalms 71:18

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10 - Data Trinity

God’s Computer Manual

 “I GOT IT!  It’s in here somewhere!” I hear these words often from my packrat spouse. The words surely come from behind messy stacks of boxes and bags.

The years I’ve spent as an inventory control technician in giant warehouses urge me to leave our box jungle attic while shaking my head. 

Paying strong attention to the Data Trinity in your world eliminates lots of frustration while protecting personal information from dangerous consequences. 

By my definition the Data Trinity has three arms, SORTING, STORAGE, and SEARCHING.

Do you notice which comes first? In lots of lists the most important ingredient is at the top. Putting extra wisdom and planning in SORTING will yield large dividends when STORING and SEARCHING. 

I’ve wasted hours searching hard drives, CD’s, jump drives, flash chips, and on-line storage for data I knew I had, but never could find. If only I had rubbed elbows with Melville Dewey as he created the catalog/sorting system we’ve all used in libraries over the years. Technology advancements have enlarged our storage capacity footprints beyond imagination, with staggering file types that really complicate the SORTING for STORAGE process. Our hard drives quickly become data attics of piles of stuff we’re sure we can make great use of, later. 

Sorting goes far beyond keeping objects or files that are similar, together… say by date, customer, storage bin etc. Our inventory of data containing personal information, passwords, date-dependent, even climate controlled and contamination considerations must be thought of. Maybe a quick example might be contribution data a missionary in a tropical location has on his/her laptop where locked doors and locked rooms would be impossible. 

The principles to consider have to do with SORTING your data.

However odd it seems, you’ll get some valuable guidelines for sorting, and then storage, and especially advanced Google searches in the Bible. In fact, in the Old Testament scripture dealing with the Israelite menu and also leprous patients beginning in Leviticus 11. 

Following is an excerpt from our eBook Fine Tuning the Powerhouse in My Shoes. (Chapter 3 used with permission)

 - - - - -

SORTING It All Out. 

None of us could live a day without SORTING things. Stated again, we do it instinctively. We will touch on several types of sorting presented in Leviticus. The most popular one is Groups within Groups. 

§        Groups within Groups type of sorting is illustrated in Lev. 11:13-23. Of the flying things, insects (v 20+) is defined as a subgroup. Examples of this subgroup are listed in verse 22. We see this technique used in

o       Creating an outline,

o       A company organizational chart,

o       The Dewey Decimal System at libraries,

o       Grouping files in folders and subfolders, on our hard drive.

Here are some other sorting methods taught in scripture and used by our computers: 

§        Grouped by Association type of sorting is shown in verses 24-40. If a Jew came in contact (associated) with something that was dead, he/she was pronounced, “unclean”. Your computer makes great use of associations in how it works with regard to filename endings. Click on ‘help’ and type in ‘associations’ to find out.

§        Grouped without Subgroups type of sorting is illustrated in verses 41-44 regarding creeping things. NOTHING that creeps is to be eaten.

§        Grouping that Never Changes type of sorting is called “static” grouping. It is demonstrated in the gender grouping of newborns and the mother’s purification in Lev 12:1-8.

§        Grouping that Continually Changes type of sorting is “dynamic”. In Lev. 13 – 15, the subject of Leprosy diagnosis and treatment is covered. The condition of the group of lepers changed almost daily and would certainly be “dynamic.”

 God’s word teaches us efficiency, safety, and especially how to Honor Him with the technology tools He has given us.

 Psalms 71:18

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11 - Little By Little Computing

Sometimes our computing projects don’t come together as fast as we’d like. In fact composition is most effective with pen and paper rather than on screen. We purchase and upgrade to the latest fastest technology. But soon we’re reminded that God’s timetable is likely not the same as ours. Our Creator holds time in His hand and is the master of it.

It’s something like our Bible reading. We can race right past some real gems of productivity and progress. ‘Little by little’ is a phrase we often use but seldom enjoy. As with all principles and truths important to our lives, God’s precious word describes ‘little by little’ and will amaze you with His reasons.

In scripture the phrase becomes ‘little and little’ and refers mostly to God’s slower calculated pace for His children to conquer their promised land ‘flowing with milk and honey’… and enemy giants too!

Two verses that seem at first to not be worth close examination are as follows:

By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. Exodus 23:30

Because God purposely did not destroy all the enemy nations all at once, fields would still be planted and tilled. The cattle would also be maintained also. Can you see the result is that God is blessing us mightily by having others begin the work we are to continue?

And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee. Deuteronomy 7:22

The verse refers to the wild beasts that would flourish uncontrollably upon the countless corpses that Israel could not have buried fast enough.

He shows us step-by-step, little and little, that He hears and wants to answer our every prayer to be victorious in His name. And He wants us to savor and share every morsel of His blessings with others.

No matter when your project ‘drop-dead date’ is, ask God to be your computing leader in projects large and small.

Psalms 71:18

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12 - Write Plainly

Computer operations should be written plainly so mistakes may not be made.

ISO 9000 is a certification many industrial customers require of their manufacturers. Simply, it says, “Write down what you do and do what you write down.” In the certification process our company found many redundant or missing processes that diminished the quality of our products and gave our competitors an edge. Instructions written clearly also make sure the training of new trainees was always the same. It becomes the baseline for a worker’s accountability.

In one sense, the Lord is ‘ISO 9000’ certified when He gave us His written word, but we must study it continually and use it in training others.

Habakkuk asked God a question and in chapter 2 God gives His answer, but first gave instruction:

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Hab 2:2.

The word ‘run’ in the verse gives us reason to take an even closer look at the reverence.

When I began emailing many years ago, I quickly learned how easy it is to misinterpret what was said when we have only text input. Our communication includes body English, tone, mood, etc. This all gives depth to what we say and hear, yet is sadly missing in email and text messaging. Even misspelled words tell the reader we were too busy, disinterested to run a spell check of our message.

Another simple New Testament reference I use so often is 1st Corinthians 14:40: Let all things be done decently and in order.

Psalms 71:18

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