psalm 119:42

42 - So shall I have wherewith

to answer him that reproacheth me: 

for I trust in thy word.

Everybody always likes to be the one to have the last word.  

The last word is usually spoken with an angle of the head and a little nod that says, "So there."  Those who persist in having the last word will many times accomplish their goal, but the last word will make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

We have a family joke in our house of one of those instances.  We were having a family discussion of a matter  and, after the issue was settled, one of those in the discussion said in a very confident manner, "Well, the wind bloweth where it listeth!"  The rest of the people in the room just looked at each other wondering, "And where did THAT fit in?!"  And, at the same time, everybody in the room burst out laughing (including the one who said it) as we all realized that the last word had been spoken even though it did not fit, made no sense, and had nothing whatsoever to do with the discussion.

To this day, whenever we are having a discussion and a battle of the wills over who will have the last word somebody will usually say, "The wind bloweth where it listeth..." and the discussion will end in laughter.

(Names have been withheld in this story to protect the innocent.) :-)

Those who would attack the spiritual, who would scorn, laugh, deride, and mock those of faith and the Scriptures usually feel confident they have the last word.  The media loves to have the last word.  The educated and eloquent feel sure they can have the last word over the uneducated and slow of speech.  The arrogant and proud will not rest until they have the last word.

We must never let our confidence be shaken when our faith is attacked.  Arguments may be presented to which we have no answer.  Questions may be posed to which we cannot think of what to say.  Vain philosophies and the "Well, I think..." mindset may resound so loud that our voice is drowned out.

But never forget this: no matter how unschooled we may be, we always have the right answer if we can say, "It is written..."

"When the heart realizes assured salvation, 

it is supplied with abundant answers to those who sneer at the delights of faith." 

~Henry Law

"Hugo Cardinalis observeth that there are three sorts of blasphemers of the godly: 

the devils, heretics, and slanderers.

The devil must be answered by the internal word of humility;

heretics by the external word of wisdom;

slanderers by the active word of a good life."

~Richard Greenham

"For I should give them a short answer, and a true one--

that I trust in thy word; 

I put my confidence in thee, who canst make good thy promises,

because thou art omnipotent; and wilt, because thou art merciful."

~William Nicholson

"It is not forbidden to believers, modestly and fully,

to answer those that reproach them, and to rebut the lie. 

(See Proverbs 26:5, 27:11)

But to be able to answer them is received as a blessing from God."

~Martin Geier

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock