Within the last couple of days I have heard people apologize for being out of church. One man admitted to my hubby that he only attends about twice during the year. Another woman informed about something happening in her family and then confessed to having not been in church for several weeks.
In my Bible reading this last week, I came across a passage that spoke to me about this very thing.
"'If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.' For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." Isaiah 58:13-14
Here is how I interpret this for myself today: Keeping my feet from breaking the Sabbath would mean that I don't go somewhere else other than my place of worship. To keep from doing as I please is self-explanatory. I am to remember that God made that day of worship holy. I am to delight in gathering to worship. God promises if I will keep His holy day then I will experience joy in Him.
Honoring the Lord's day is an act of obedience. It's investing in the Christian legacy I hope to leave to those I have influence over.
Now, as a pastor's wife, I'm there for worship whether I feel like it or not. But this is where I need to work. God wants us to call the Sabbath a delight. This takes preparation and perspective.
Preparation needs to happen before I enter my place of worship. This preparation should be ongoing throughout my week. Here's what it looks like: I'm in the Word, listening to what the Spirit is revealing to me. I'm praying for wisdom and guidance and even for that day of worship.
Perspective means I will be focusing upon my God who deserves my full attention and worship. I will lay aside those personal preferences and solve those relationships that hinder my time with the Father.
When I don't approach the Sabbath with an attitude of worshiping God and delighting in those moments, I might just as well be one of those people who haven't been to church in a long time.
What a great idea for a New Year's resolution! Learn to delight in the Sabbath.
What do you do to delight in the Sabbath?
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