Human Computer

“Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” [Hebrews 6:14]

Perhaps the strangest human computer ever is Charles Grandemange of France. He was born in 1835 – a one-pound baby without arms or legs. But he was endowed with a prodigious brain. At age 14 he toured Europe in demonstration of his calculating ability. He lived in a wooden box only one foot wide, but he could multiply two 100-digit numbers by one another within 30 seconds. He could divide a 23-digit figure by another and find the remainder at one glance. He was billed as the most lightning of all lightning calculators. It seems as if his misfortune resulted in the extraordinary development of mathematical skills.

More recently, Scott Flansburg of San Diego, California, has been dubbed “The Human Calculator” by Regis Philbin. This American mental calculator was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2001 for his speed in mental calculation. Scott first realized his calculating skills at age nine and began solving his math teacher’s questions without writing down the calculations. He began keeping a running tally of groceries being purchased by his family at the store and giving his father an exact amount before the cashier rang up the total.

Flansburg has the ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and find square and cube roots in his head almost instantly. His calculations are always accurate. He is an advocate for raising math standards and has appeared on television shows. He has also written a couple of books to help children and adults increase their math skills.

The ability to calculate and store numbers in your head is an admirable quality. But there is nothing like storing God’s Word in your mind. David wrote, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). To help Abraham understand the great power of God, the Lord had him do some math. “Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be’” (Genesis 15:5). When we give our minds to the Lord, He promises to multiply our blessings. You can count on it!