The Database

Posted by Dion Todd September 6th, 2024 1,124 Views 32 Comments

Then David gave to Solomon his son the plans for the porch of the temple, for its houses, for its treasuries, for its upper rooms, for its inner rooms, for the place of the mercy seat; and the plans of all that he had by the Spirit, 1 Chronicles 28:11-12 WEB.

David provided Solomon with the plans for the new temple he was to build. Though initially, all of those plans were given to David by the Holy Spirit. Even though Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, his great wisdom and understanding were given to him by God. It is still available to God's people today if we will trust Him. We may not be as wise as Solomon, but we can rise above stupid.

A long time ago, before there was Google, before cell phones. When the UNIX, DOS, or NetWare command line was the standard computer interface, the Lord began "inviting" me to work on computers for others. It started as a hobby after work. I was trying to get through seminary and had no plans of working in the computer field. I always loved technology and electronics, but I felt it was beyond my abilities because I didn't have the education or skills needed.

The Lord would prompt people to call me. They would get my number from a friend of a friend, and if I agreed to go and look at it, He would always give me the ability to fix the problem. Strangers would somehow get my phone number and call me with, "Please come! You are our last hope!"

It was always scary because He pushed me into increasingly deeper things, with no one to turn to for advice but Him. And each time I grew slightly more competent, He would raise the difficulty. Looking back, He was training me for what we do today.

One day an accountant's office called me to come and repair their customer database. A computer on the network had crashed with the database open, and some of the tables became corrupted. I had little experience with DOS networks or any network then. This database was vital to them as it contained the tax returns of hundreds of clients over several years, and they had no backup. They were desperate.

I didn't even want to go, but they pleaded with me and told me they had no one else to call. The people who had installed the network for them were gone, and they didn't know what else to do. I wanted to say, "No," but I felt the Holy Spirit say, "Go, and I'll go with you." So I went.

It was around a forty-minute drive because they were in Pawley's Island, South Carolina, and I was in Conway. I prayed all the way there, "Lord, I can't do this without You. Please give me the wisdom to fix this." When I arrived, they walked me to the server, and with butterflies in my stomach, I began to look it over. This was the first database I had ever worked on, and I was nervous, to say the least.

All the office staff gathered around because they couldn't work without the database, and they watched me in hope. I prayed silently, and suddenly I knew what to do. I typed a few commands and successfully repaired the database. They were able to go back to work. Then I helped them create a proper backup system. They were my client for the next fifteen years.

The Lord continued adding clients like that, one by one. Soon, I took care of accountants' offices, banks, lawyers, insurance companies, doctor's offices, and more. As long as I would go, He would go with me and make me successful. This continued until He pushed me into ministry. That was His original plan, but He needed to prepare me first. I couldn't be here without first having been there.

You don't have to walk alone today. There is wisdom beyond the natural that is within your reach. When you are faced with things you don't know how to do, turn to God, pray, and listen. Many times the answer will come. When Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things, He meant all things. God is not an obsolete antique from the past but on the cutting edge of today's world. We are not alone while He is on the throne.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please send me the Comforter like You promised, Your precious Holy Spirit. Walk with me and talk with me today. Help me to recognize when You are speaking. Please give me wisdom today. I want more of You in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network. If you are interested in joining the prayer team, here is how to get started Prayer Partners.