How precious is the word of God. In I Samuel 3:1 KJv it says "the word of the Lord was precious in those days". Today how precious is God's word? Our very salvation depends on the word of God, and Christ our Redeemer is the word of God in the flesh. Can we depend on God's precious word the answer is yes based on the evidence of time gone by and record of God's word to man. That is what this Bible is a testimony of God's precious word to man. As a believer I believe God speaks to the individual heart, some claim to hear God audibly and others hear God's voice as a small still voice and other's heard God's voice as a trumpet. The word of God is more then salvation it is a life line for the believer. A life line thrown out to the believer sinking in the middle of the sea, only to be dragged in, or for that believer in the heat of battle with the only hope is the life line of helicopter with the bullets still raging at one's feet. The word of God is the protection and one's feet is covered with salvation. The enemy who bites at the ankles can no longer harm the feet the Gospel of Salvation travel on. See even if death comes to a believer for the Gospel, their eternity is already protected by the word of God called salvation through Christ Jesus. Word came to save us more then once in a life time, to protect his people if they only have faith to believe.

Samuel time period was time of qualm and the word seemed less coming forth from heaven, yet God was still speaking even to the prophets. Let us understand that even in peaceful times word comes not just in times of salvation. Cain found out God's word was true in a warning, and yet he failed to obey and it cost him his eternity with God. Can you loose what you got, some people argue this. Yet one must understand at what point is the word lost from individual. Looking at the parable of the sower Christ speaks to the disciples of the importance of the word of God. Some hear the word of God like Adam and Eve only to have the wick one still it away. Adam and Eve heard and obeyed God for a time about eating that fruit and yet the wick one came and stole it. Wayside metaphorically is a course of conduct. They hear the word continue path of the word only to change direction of their own choice. That easy way to find oneself in life going in the opposite of God's instruction because of temptation that comes by the tempter. Can one turn back, it is a choice to turn back to the word, yet one needs to understand the preciousness of the word of God, to understand his instructions is full of mercy and forgiveness. That why Christ set the captives free. The captives understood not the cost of not following after the ways of righteousness. Jesus is called the good shepherd because he sees the sin of the people only to require repentance and follow after Him. His Christ as strict as God. In truth ask the drunken teen that died after salvation who was killed in an car accident about the word of God, oh you can't ask, because gone. Grace may not of been found by the drunken teen. No God's grace abounded in our weakness, but punishment came despite the salvation. God's correction is swift and yet sometimes merciful. Ask another teen drunk that claimed salvation that was in accident that woke to the word of God about the truth of drunkness. Ask a teen that refuse to drink the nigh his friends wanted to party and yield to the temptation to go and lost his friends that night. The obedience of the word of God is important. For a teen it maybe more instructions of a good parent if they are not reading the word consistencely that echoes in the mind of dos and don'ts in life. Yet God places good parents to teach and instruct there children.

Let continue what about those that receive that word only in stoney place where little dirt for the seed to be buried under, only to find joy for a season before the wicked one destroys it when trials and tribulation comes. Deep faith despite a persons obedience to the word comes time of testing. When trials come one might fail for a season those test, but when more testing comes God is word is even more precious then it ever was before because you know what happens when you fail to hear and obey God's word. Yet those that fail because the word was not rooted, is because of lack of the word or the richness of God's word in their life. Can they be restored, only with repentance and understanding of the failure of not adhering to the word of God. Many hear and receive God's word not understanding the need to rely in every situation to rely on God. I be truthful here, it easy to type all this morning but not always easy to adhere to the word, because of humanity. Yet our desire is to obey God. The word itself when planted in fertile soil and it springs up bringing forth life and fruit of faith, the fruit of the Spirit, and offspring of faith that also grows up with life giving abundance to others, is coming from God alone, but when one sees a place of weeds where fruit of the Spirit existed, then it not planted by God. Easy example some filling a church with friends and family only to look like good leader, but only has a fist full of dollars to line the seats of those that will attend for what they will gain. It like filling seats of a church with those needing food to receive food, but not the word. When one helps people you have to give as a neighbor and compassion of Christ. To give not requiring anything in return, otherwise your love and compassion turns into a field of tares. Yet is that not want a church want is pews filled with the lost. Christ tells the disciples to let them remain, and in truth God will pick those tares to bring forth transformation by the word that is received by those not of God. Let God do the changing, don't you try. God is wanting to transform his people himself, your job is to just minister has his word directs, your job is just to pray. Your job is not to judge. You do not know who God will save and tranform into children of light.

How precious is the word of God to both the believer and non believer, it always brought salvation to both. King that had to deal with Abrahams half truth knew the power of Abraham's God. Rehab the harlot transformed by the stories of the victories of the Israelites, decided to protect the spies of Israel that were in her own villa. Let us not fail to realize God's word is the transformer. God's word has transformed Children before the human appearance of Christ. Christ has not changed as transformer of faith, He is light, he is the great shepherd and the Word of God. Even in Samuel day the word of God was consider precious, is it precious to you. Are you receiving God's word.

Dear Heavenly Father, we know your grace and compassion. We know your love for mankind because it comes by your word through both the word standing alone and the word being Christ in the flesh. Allow us to hold ot the truth of your word in all circumstance, despite our own struggles. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: John 1:1-3;14 KJV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

1:14 KJV And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.