4. _When is this done?_ When do we not despise God's Word, but rather hold it sacred? God's Word is _preached to to us in public worship._ We despise the preaching of His Word when we do not go to church at all, or only now and then, at long intervals, because we prefer to stay at home to do our work or to amuse ourselves. We despise preaching when we go to church, but hear the sermon carelessly when we do not pay attention to the pastor. He that will not hear God's Word is not of God; such a one cannot remain God's child. John 8,47.--If we keep the preaching of God's Word sacred, we shall go to church regularly every Sunday, unless sickness, or something else that we cannot avoid, hinders us. We shall go to church in order to hear the sermon, to listen attentively to it. We shall hear the Word willingly and gladly and rejoice that we may again hear the dear Gospel of the love of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord. We shall rejoice and say: _"Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth."_ Ps. 26,8.--God's Word is also preached and taught us in our _day-schools_ and _Sunday-schools._ Come to your school regularly, hear the lessons from the Word of God diligently and attentively and you will hold His Word sacred; you will do the will of your Father. 5. God's Word is not only preached, God has also given us the _Bible, His written Word._ He wants us to read His Word in our _homes. "Search the Scriptures,"_ John 5,39, our Savior says. We should not only read it, but read it carefully and often, read it with prayer to God that we may more thoroughly understand it. The Word of God should dwell among us _richly, abundantly._ Col. 3,16. If we do not read and study our Bible at home, we are despising the Word of God. 6. We should not only hear and read the Word of God, and hear and read it gladly; our Catechism also tells us _that we should learn it._ Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, _so we, too, should keep all these words and ponder them in our hearts._ Luke 2,19. We should try with the help of our Lord to live more and more according to God's Word. _"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."_ Ps. 119,105. If we do this, we are holding God's Word sacred and shall be blessed by it. _"Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it."_ Luke 11,28. Remember _Hannah,_ the mother of little Samuel, 1 Sam. 1,2; _Mary_ sitting at Jesus feet and hearing His Word, Luke 10,39. Remember especially how our _Lord_ loved His Father's house. Luke 2,41-52. 7. There is one thing we should not forget: to keep God's Word sacred. God sends His messengers to us, our pastors and preachers. We should _honor and esteem and love them_ for their work's sake. We should obey them when they preach God's Word and _pray_ for them. We should help that the blessed Word of God may be preached to all nations, to all men, that all may hear it and be saved by it.