I have to admit, when I was a child, calling the Sabbath “a delight” would have been a foreign concept to me. Back then most of what I heard about the Sabbath was from adults telling me to “keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day.” To a young boy this was not very appealing, especially the part about not doing as I please.
Thankfully, people’s understanding of the Sabbath has changed. These days, while still upholding the importance of keeping the Seventh Day holy, the emphasis is much more on finding delight in this special day of the week.
My own attitude has also matured. Since I’ve fallen in love with God, “I delight in God’s law…” (Romans 7:22). I’ve learned when I find delight in the Sabbath, the honoring part takes care of itself. I keep it holy, because it pleases the One I love and it’s a special time He’s asked me to spend with Him.
Date Time
Spending time with people we love is something we all enjoy. That’s why we look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. For me, I look forward to father-daughter dates with my daughter, Rishana. They are some of my favorite days of the year, because I love spending time with my girl. It would take wild horses to keep me away and even then they’d have a fight on their hands!
The Sabbath is the same kind of thing. It is a weekly date with my Heavenly Father, something I look forward to every week. On sundown Friday evening I put away all my troubles and cares, the worries and work of the week, and spend the next 24 hours enjoying His company and time with others who feel the same way. The Sabbath has become a delight to me, my favorite day of the week. It’s an appointment I never want to miss.
Your Turn!
How about you? Is the Sabbath a day of delight or dread? Or maybe you’ve never tried it. Either way, why not give it a try? Today, instead of your normal routine, take a day off to spend with Jesus and see what happens. You just might find it becomes your favorite day of the week too!