“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:11-12There are crazy, mixed up messages among people concerning Sabbath. It can cause major confusion! I have found many who shout their message or even flaunt their message. It’s hard to miss them. But to hear from God, I need to get still and quiet. It is then that I can receive His clear direction.
“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:14
I can struggle with wanting to fit in and not stand out as odd. But it’s ok to look different because I keep Sabbath. Actually, it’s better than ok. Jesus said that when I follow His ways it brings life.
“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of The Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in The Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah 58:13-14I struggle with wanting to put myself first and with missing out on earthly pleasures. But God promises me that, when I put Him first and keep HIS Sabbath, I will delight myself in Him! There is no greater blessing than to be in the center of God’s will!
“In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.” Psalms 71:1-3When keeping Sabbath, hard situations with work, family, friends, etc. may come. It is in these times that God is my refuge and strength! He will guide me through whatever trouble I face.
“And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” Exodus 16:5I struggle sometimes with staying on top of my prior preparations for Sabbath. I can get lazy or unfocused and lose sight of why I am preparing. But I can be sure that when I prepare as God asks, my distractions are fewer and my time with God is sweeter! Whatever Sabbath struggles you come across, know that God has encouragement for you! Until next time, Lisa G.