Thought for the Month - June 2004

Have a Google at this... - By Pastor Ian Wilson

Larry Page and Sergey Brin are probably not for many people household names. However very soon they will both be billionaires.

Mr Page and Mr Brin, both barely in their thirties, just happen to be geniuses with computers and the founders of the world's most popular internet search engine.

The two first met at Stanford University in the mid- 1990s, where they were doing doctorates in computer sciences. They became friends while developing a new Internet search engine from their college dormitory. Initially called BackRub, they created a software system whereby the search engine would list results according to the popularity of the pages, after realising that more times than not, the most popular result would also be the most useful.

Pulling together $lm from family, friends and other investors, on 7th September 1998, Google was commercially launched from a friend's garage. Growth was quick. Initially, Google got 10,000 queries per day compared with 200 million today.

Google has now filed papers proposing to issue stock via an online auction, rather than the traditional allocation by big banks. The move, experts predict, could raise an estimated $2.7bn (£1.62bn) and value Google at as much as $20bn.

Over the past five years Google has become the search engine of choice for a majority of internet users. Last year, it accounted for more than 70% of all searches in the US and it is also the most used search engine in the UK.

I have often used Google and it is a very impressive search engine. By using Google you can find information on any subject as it searches millions of pages on the Internet in a few seconds.

One place however Google cannot search is the human heart. That is something only God can do.

Jeremiah 17: 10 "I the Lord search the heart"

When I think of the Lord searching hearts it brings great comfort. Perhaps you have a broken heart and you wonder who can help?

It was said of Christ:

Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted"

Are you broken hearted?

You can find help through Christ.

It also brings a great challenge to know that God searches our hearts. Look what God said about the human heart in Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

If we come and seek forgiveness from Christ through his finished work on the cross, God has promised to give you a new heart.

Ezekiel 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you"

May God search our hearts so that we find comfort and cleansing.

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!