1. Precious Memories
As I began reading in the book of I Samuel I remembered when our children were small and they would act out the story of God's call to little Samuel. One would be Eli and another would be Samuel, jumping up excitedly, as Michael told the story to say, "Eli, Eli, is that you calling me?" I remember our little David saying, "Here my am, Lord!" Those are precious memories!
Our new devotional theme will be taken from I Samuel 3:1. "And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision." For the first week I hope to look at things in the Word of God that are precious. And then we will try to look at more of the descriptions of the Word of the Lord.
2. God's Thoughts Of Us Are Precious
We can have such precious memories of bringing up our children, but did you know that God's thoughts of us are precious, too? In understanding the love of God in forming and bringing to life each little baby, David exclaims, "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:17) We are made in the image of God!
"14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." (Psalm 139:14-18)
This reminds me of the song we sang when we were small, Jesus Loves The Little Children. It was written by C. Herbert Woolston (1856-1927).
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
God continues to think of us throughout our lives.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
3. Precious Things Of Heaven And Earth
It was warm Sunday afternoon so I walked outside just to see, and feel, the sunshine. The daffodils are getting ready to bloom. The birds and squirrels are eating seeds and what was left from my garden last year. I am ready to leave winter behind and welcome spring. I like the freshness of life that comes with spring. In the closing of his life, Moses blessed the tribes of Israel. He spoke to each one, but I want us to look at his blessing to the tribe of Joseph, which is usually broken down into Ephraim and Manasseh. Look at the precious things he mentions. They remind me of spring.
"13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,
15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren." (Deuteronomy 33:13-16)
Do we look up to the heavens and see the rain and how it waters the earth as precious? In the summer when the vegetables are growing in my garden, the dew and rain all seem so precious. It is so wonderful when those first early squash start coming in, and the tomatoes begin to get ripe on the vines. I have read that plants grow more at night than during the day, so the sun and moon both bring the precious food that we enjoy so much. In the next verse Moses speaks of the chief things of the ancient mountains and precious things of the lasting hills. Could he be talking of the precious gems and metals that are under those mountains and hills? He began with the precious things brought by the heavens, then spoke of the precious things under the earth, and then he tells of the "precious things of the earth and fulness thereof." There is a lot in the world today to discourage us, but as God sends springtime to us once again, let's look at the the precious things he brings to us and praise His name!
4. Sowing Precious Seed
We opened these devotionals with the precious fruit of the womb, the birth of children. Then we saw the precious fruit of the earth. Today we are looking at the precious seed. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126:5-6) Because we have the parable of the sower which Jesus told, I believe that we can relate this precious seed with the new birth of salvation. When we share the gospel message of the gift of salvation with others, the seed is precious.
"11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." (Luke 8:11-15)
Jesus also taught on sowing and reaping in John 4:36-37. "And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth." This shows us that we may not immediately see the results of sowing the seed, or we may reap from what another person sowed. But, we need to keep sowing. "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." (II Corinthians 9:6)
5. A Precious Corner Stone
The book of Revelation tells us of the new Jerusalem coming down and John describes the precious stones of the foundation. I don't know much about precious stones, but this will be an amazing sight to behold! I have often wondered if the light will reflect like rainbows.
"18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." (Revelation 21:18-22)
Even in all their beauty, these stones cannot compare with the "precious corner stone, a sure foundation." "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." (Isaiah 28:16) Jesus is our corner stone. He is the head of all we can be and the corner stone of our foundation. He is the only sure foundation that will stand in these last days. I am so thankful that God called to me and gave me mercy and set me on the Rock of salvation!
"3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (II Peter 2:3-10)
6. Wisdom Is Precious
Our verse today is Proverbs 3:15, "She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her." Because Proverbe 31:10 ("Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.") compares a virtuous woman to rubies you may think this verse is also speaking of a woman. But, when we read it in context we see that the writer is saying that wisdom and understanding are more precious than rubies.
"13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens." (Proverbs 3:13-19)
This thought is repeated in Proverbs 8:11, "For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it." We are beginning to see just how precious wisdom really is, because there seem to be more and more who don't have any. I just read that the world is in danger because younger people are not having babies and in about 15 years there will not be enough working people to keep the world system going. What did they think would happen??? It is like the cities that pushed out law enforcement and now they can't get help in times of crisis??? I try to write devotions that will encourage God's children, but when we look for wisdom in our leaders, there is not much to give us hope. But, we have hope of the highest source! Our God is still in control and He is omniscient, all knowing. He still has the power to rule this universe. Seek the wisdom of God. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5) "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." (James 3:17)
7. Very Precious Ointment
When I was in the hospital visiting Michael for a month I had to wear a mask and I developed an allergic reaction. It began on my cheeks and eventually rose up over my eyes and went down my neck. It looked and felt like a bad case of poison oak but I didn't dare scratch it because it burned when I touched it. I finally had to go and get help and was given an ointment to put on it. To me, that ointment was precious, even though it did not cost very much, because it helped the rash to heal and go away. Let's look at Matthew 26:7. "There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat." Mark also describes the ointment as very precious. "And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head." (Mark 14:3) The ointment was of great value and the woman was giving the best thing she had to Jesus. Do we give the precious things we have to the Lord? I think about our time being precious. Are we giving our time to the Lord? Our tithes may be precious in the eyes of the Lord. Let's not forget our love and worship. Think about what you have that is most precious to you, and ask yourself if you are willing to give it to your Savior. He gave His best for you, He gave His life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
There are two more verses that tell us things that are said to be like precious ointment.
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;" (Psalm 133:1-2)
"A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth." (Ecclesiastes 7:1)
8. God's Word Is Precious
When Michael and I started dating he was in college, so we didn't see each other much in the beginning. Sometimes he would send me a letter or card and it was so precious to me I would read it over and over again. I think I still have them packed away in a box. Sometimes when I am going through stuff I will find notes that our children or grandchildren wrote to us, and those are also very precious. When I was packing away our Christmas decorations I put all the cards that we received in the last three months in a box. Each one was precious and the words were so encouraging. If the letters and cards we write to each other are precious, then the Word that God wrote to us should be even more precious to our hearts. We should read it over and over again, and meditate on it so that we can grow in the Lord. We began this series with I Samuel 3:1, "And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision." The Word of God is very important.
"5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." (Deuteronomy 6:5-9)
9. "In The Beginning Was The Word"
As we begin talking about the Word, let's go back to the beginning...
"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.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
14 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." (John 1:1-4 & 14)
John also tells us, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." (I John 5:7)
When I told Michael that I wanted to use these verses for my devotional he showed me a chapter in the book, "Knowing God", by J. I. Packer. It is a good outline to break down the verses in John 1. Michael highly recommends this book.
1. "In the beginning was the Word" - The Word's Eternity
2. "And the Word was with God" - The Word's Personality
3. "And the Word was God" - The Word's Deity
4. "All Things were made by him" - The Word Creating
5. "In Him Was Life" - The Word Animating
6. "And the life was the light of men" - The Word Revealing
7. "And the Word became flesh" - The Word Incarnate
"The baby in the manger at Bethlehem was none other than the eternal Word of God." (J. I. Packer)
10. The Word Of The Lord Is Right
"For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth." (Psalm 33:4) There seems to be some confusion today about what is wrong and what is right. The Prophet Isaiah warned us about this, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:2) We also have warning in the New Testament to follow that which is good. "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God." (III John 11) Just because people change the wording and add "new labels" to old sins, that does not make them right. God's Word is right, and we can not change God's Word. Psalm 119:89 tells us, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." In the same chapter we read, "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." (Psalm 119:160) Voting on it and making it a law, does not turn a wrong into a right. Right is right. Wrong is wrong. And sin is sin... no matter what people call it.
11. The Word Of The Lord Is Our Light
I have written about this verse many times because it is the verse I chose for my devotional web site years ago. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105) If I am walking through the dark with a flashlight, I can shine the light at my feet and see up close. Then, occasionally I will shine the light forward and I can see the path that lies ahead. That is how God describes the Word in this verse. We can read the Word of God and He may show us the answer to something we are seeking at that very moment. There are other times when God sheds His Light on a path we are about to take up ahead. We can also hide the Word in our heart, and God can bring it to our memory just when we need direction from Him.
We read in John 1 that Jesus is the Word. Jesus also tells us that He is the Light. And when we believe in Him we don't have to walk in darkness. Aren't you glad for the Light!
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:46)
12. The Word Of The Lord Is Nigh
I am currently reading about King David in my daily reading. I just read about his sin with Bathsheba. The Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David to make him face his sin. The parable that Nathan told was about a man that was poor and had one little lamb. The other man was rich with flocks and herds, but when a visitor came calling, he took the one small lamb from the poor man and gave it to his guest. I thought about how the Lord knew that this parable would be one that David would understand and would be able to put himself in that place. He had been the poor shepherd looking over his father's sheep at one time in his life. He knew how precious each little lamb was and saved them from a bear and lion. Jesus also taught the people in parables of simple things the people would understand. We can read of fig trees, sowing seeds, and helping your neighbor. These simple stories were told so that the believers could understand. The disciples asked Jesus why He spoke to them in parables, "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:" (Mark 4:11) The Word of God is nigh to those, or close to those, who are close to the Lord. The closer we walk with the Lord, the more we will understand His Word. When we first begin reading God's Word, it may seem like simple little stories, but the more we grow in spiritual things, the more God opens up our understanding to the scriptures. I am glad that the Lord gave us His Word and opens our heart to understand it.
"11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it." (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)
"8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:8-10)
13. The Word Of The Lord Is Powerful
Today we are looking at the power of God's Word. In the beginning we see the power of God in creation. "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Genesis 3:1) God spoke and the seas were formed. "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:9-10) So it should not come as a surprise that Jesus can speak and calm the stormy seas. "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mark 4:39-41) God spoke and the trees were created. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." (Genesis 1:11) Yet, the disciples marvelled when Jesus spoke to the fig tree and it withered away. "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!" (Matthew 21:19-20) The Word of the Lord is powerful. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) The Word of the Lord is still powerful today. God has given us promises in His Word and we can trust that He will fulfill every one. Do we live in fear? Do we marvel at the miracles of God we see in our lives? Even when we don't understand all that is going on in the world today, we can trust Jesus because He understands and He has the power to take care of it all. "Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite." (Psalm 147:5)
14. The Word Of The Lord Reveals God's Plan Of Salvation
All of these truths about the Word of the Lord are important, and today we see just how important God's Word is to us. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24) Paul also explained how we need the Word of God to be saved.
"13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:13-17)
Think about it. If we didn't have the Word of God we wouldn't know how to be saved, but we wouldn't even know that we needed to be saved.
15. The Romans Road, From The Word Of God
I like to share God's plan of salvation often, for someone may be reading this today who is searching for everlasting life. And with salvation and a home in heaven, also comes hope, and peace, and love, and joy in this life. It can all be found in Jesus. And the way to this eternal life can be found in God's Word.
First you must understand that we are all sinners. And to go to heaven and live in the presence of God, the punishment for our sin must be paid. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)
God has an answer to our sin problem. In His great love, He gave us His Son, Jesus to die for us and pay for our sin."But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
If you believe that Jesus came to give His life on the cross to pay for your sin, and you trust in Him to save you, then you can ask Him for forgiveness and He will save you. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10) Are you saved? You can be saved right now. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
