Isaiah 58:13-14

“if you call the sabbath a delight…if you honor it, not going your own ways…or pursuing your own affairs;then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;” vss. 13b-14a

The prophets of Israel consistently pointed to sabbath-keeping as the center of the Jewish faith. In their eyes it was the most important of all the commandments given at Sinai. And early Christians agreed. While they may have rejected some of the rigid laws that had grown up around sabbath observance, they understood its importance, and even though they changed their day of corporate worship to Sunday they continued to consider it as a day holy to the Lord. Unfortunately the pressures and opportunities of contemporary living have had a huge impact on sabbath keeping. The culture demands that businesses and services be available every day of the week. Youth sports teams regularly hold games and practices on Sunday morning. The whole notion of a day of rest seems quaint in secular society and even people who work 35 hour weeks are reluctant to dedicate even a portion of a day to worship and prayer–they just don’t have the time! But there’s a reason why the ancients set aside a day each week for rest–it’s what they needed to revitalize their souls. And the same is true for us! Not only is regular worship a wonderful testimony to our faith, it’s vital for our spiritual well-being. Without worship, faith disappears!

Thought for the Day: What’s the relationship between worship and witness?