The Value of a Word

When Mark Twain was at the peak of his writing career, it is said that his magazine and journal articles were worth $5 a word--a great sum of money in those days. One enterprising Harvard graduate student sent Mark Twain a letter:  "Dear Mr. Twain:  Enclosed please find $5. Please send me your best word."  A few days later, the student received a telegram with this single word response: "Thanks!"

Samuel Clemens ( Mark Twain ) is gone…we still read his words, they have value.

In the past forty years, the Ann Landers advice column has helped lovelorn teens, confused parents, couples on the brink of divorce,  grieving widows, and a myriad of others who are in need of counsel. Translated into over twenty languages, Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer, known professionally as Ann Landers, reached millions of readers with her clear, witty and sometimes sarcastic columns…to a much lesser degree we still read her words, they have value.

The most valuable word that has ever come to this world, has come from God.  His word, we call it the Bible.  We read other books, but the Bible reads us.  At times we don’t like it because it hits us where we live.  It describes us as we are before God - sinners.  Not a single truth has it predicted, that has not come to pass. Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

God will have the final say.  John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. Men can dispute it, deny it if they chose, it will not change the final outcome.

WC Fields, the famous American actor, screen writer, while dying was seen thumbing through his Bible and was asked “ was he looking for something “ to which he replied “ yes, loopholes “.

The good news is that, the same word by which men will be judged and condemned, the through the same word they can be forgiven. 1 Peter 1:23-25  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

In the year following the revolution in Romania–in the very room where Ceausescu’s wife gave instructions that all Bibles were to be made into toilet paper, Wayne Barber a Christian was privileged to present a Romanian Bible to 18 members of the Romanian Parliament!

Reporter Andrea Stone, interviewed Sgt. Mark Williams on Sept 11, 2001 after the Pentagon attack, where American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 tore into the world’s largest building.

Said Williams " As I looked up into the black chasm torn into the symbol of the mightiest military in the world, there was a sign of hope!

On a second floor, right next to where the jet sheared off a section of the building, was an undisturbed stool. And on it was a thick, open book. Fellow searchers who had gotten a close look said it was a Bible. It was not burned. Nor was anything around it or on the two floors above it. 'I'm not as religious as some, but that would have me do some thinking ..'I just can't explain it.'"

When an individual after reading the Word of God, becomes aware of their need, realizes from the Word of God, that need has been met at Calvary through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, repents, accepts God’s Word for it, the Bible declares them saved.  From that day on from their heart they send off to God, Mr. Clemens best word “ Thanks! “

Murray A. McCandless      2070 Route 121, Norton, NB  E5T 1E9        mmccand@nbnet.nb.ca