That ANVIL Again#
Soul Snack 128/14 ...
Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
When looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers worn with beating years of time.
"How many anvils have you had," said I,
"To wear and batter these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he; then with a twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."
And so, I thought, the anvil of God's Word,
For ages, skeptics blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed - the hammers gone. ~ John Clifford
Critics over the years ebb and flow, but God’s word remains steadfast. This got me thinking.
There have been many anti-Biblical hammers throughout the centuries. People have sought to unravel Christianity; some have been successful in raising a following for a time (Von Daniken - Chariots of the Gods). Others have become Christians themselves in the face of evidence they hoped would debunk it (Frank Morrison - Who Moved the Stone, or more recently Lee Strobel - The Case for Christ); but in the end these hammers lie shattered on the floor; their shrapnel beyond re-assembly. The anvil remains unaltered.
One thing is certain, the attacks will continue to come. Hammers will rail (and fail) against the anvil.
Perhaps it is just a nuance of western civilisation, but Christianity seems to attract derision that other religions would not tolerate.
“No one can violently attack something without taking it seriously in some way. No one attacks belief in Zeus anymore. No one gets emotional over the Flat Earth Society. Yet Christianity calls forth the deepest emotions -- even and especially in the ones who most reject it.” ~ Gene Edward Veith Jr.
In the end, the anvil remains unsullied. God is patient with the hammer blows. I don’t know why – but I do know that He is still in charge. I also know that in China and Africa, Christianity is growing rapidly despite the persecution that Christians face.#
… and I know that somewhere in the world today, another hammer lies forgotten on the floor.
Today's Soul Snack:
A Bible that is worn out belongs to someone who isn't. ~ anonymous
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# Graciously supplied by Dr Stuart Quarmby
ENJOY ~ The Anvil of God's Word
and also God's Word In Famine