Sanctified for Worship, January 29

The Sabbath of God

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1.FLB 35.1

God has given us the whole of six days in which to do our work, and has reserved only one to Himself. This should be a day of blessing to us—a day when we should lay aside all our secular matters and center our thoughts upon God and heaven.^{122Child Guidance, 529.}FLB 35.2

All heaven is keeping the Sabbath, but not in a listless, do-nothing way. On this day every energy of the soul should be awake, for are we not to meet with God and with Christ our Saviour? We may behold Him by faith. He is longing to refresh and bless every soul.^{123Testimonies for the Church 6:362.}FLB 35.3

On Sabbath morning the family should be astir early. If they rise late, there is confusion and bustle in preparing for breakfast and Sabbath school. There is hurrying, jostling, and impatience. Thus unholy feelings come into the home. The Sabbath, thus desecrated, becomes a weariness, and its coming is dreaded rather than loved.^{124Testimonies for the Church 6:357.}FLB 35.4

The Sabbath is God's time. He sanctified and hallowed the seventh day. He set it apart for man to keep as a day of worship.^{125Manuscript 34, 1897.}FLB 35.5

We need to cherish and cultivate a spirit of true worship, a spirit of devotion upon the Lord's holy, sanctified day. We should assemble together believing that we shall receive comfort and hope, light and peace from Jesus Christ.^{126Manuscript 32a, 1894.}FLB 35.6

All heaven was represented to me as beholding and watching upon the Sabbath those who acknowledge the claims of the fourth commandment and are observing the Sabbath. Angels were marking their interest in, and high regard for, this divine institution. Those who sanctified the Lord God in their hearts by a strictly devotional frame of mind, and who sought to improve the sacred hours in keeping the Sabbath to the best of their ability, and to honor God by calling the Sabbath a delight—these the angels were specially blessing with light and health, and special strength was given them.^{127Testimonies for the Church 2:704, 705.}FLB 35.7