Bible in 90 Days--Day 20!

Words--I keep wanting to share something I read about words in the Day 20 Bible reading, but you know how it is. Time keeps flying by. I'm actually past this point in my reading, today I'm on Day 25 (YEA, I made it past the 1/4th point!) but I keep wanting to share something I read a few days ago on words. There I was, happily reading along. Trying to make sure my mind didn't wander to the millions of things on my "To Do" list for that day, and all of a sudden there it was, just jumping out at me! 1 Samuel 3:19 is describing the boy Samuel, and it says it like this: "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground."

Did you get the same thing I did? Samuel let none of God's words "fall to the ground." First of all, I love how that phrase is translated--words falling to the ground. I think of books falling, pencils falling, groceries falling to the ground, perhaps, but I have never thought about words falling to the ground. Yet I knew exactly what the Bible was trying to say in that word choice. Don't we talk about how sometimes the things we say to someone go "in one ear and out the other"? Or sometimes we tease that they don't even go in the first ear? We have all been guilty of this before, knowing that we "should" do something, but not doing it. Sometimes it is a thing of little importance--like maybe you put off doing the laundry for a day. It has no important, long term effect on you or your family. But if it is God's words we are letting fall to the ground, well, that is entirely different!

Several chapters later in that days Bible reading, I found myself in chapter 15. Samuel is grown now, and is talking with King Saul whom has turned away from the Lord and not followed instruction. God has at this point rejected Saul as King of Israel, and has said that He will appoint a new King. In the message that God had Samuel deliver to Saul, he says "To obey is better than sacrifice." 1 Samuel 15:22 God is not some heathen god, that if we only bring a certain offering or gift we can then do whatever we want to in our evil hearts. God simply wants us to obey. Why? Because He knows what is for our own good. Like earthly parents with their children--only sometimes WE do make mistakes and do not always know what is best.

Have a wonderful day--and hold tight to God, so that none of His words fall to the ground!