Keeping The Sabbath Day Holy- Still Relevant

Keeping the Sabbath Holy is still relevant and a powerful national and personal commitment to show our faith in Jesus Christ.

The holiest sign to exhibit the seriousness of our faith and trust in Jesus is to keep the Sabbath day holy, as individual and as a nation. In America, the day of worship is Sunday and thus this is the day we should step aside from “business as usual.”

When we are on domestic soil it reminds other faiths that Sunday is a Christian day of worship. When we are committed to keeping the Sabbath holy while on vacation in other nations, it reminds those around us of our special relationship with our God and public evidence that we are His worshippers. This serves to distinguish us from other people.

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”(Romans 12:1-2)

This verse says if we offer our lives- bodies and mind to do God’s will-God considers this worship. He then goes on to say that in doing this we are testing God’s will and we will see that it is good, pleasing and perfect.

Isaiah Conveys A Firm Belief that the Sabbath is Still Relevant

The prophet Isaiah had a firm belief in the benefits of Sabbath keeping:

“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.”(Is 58:13-15 KJV)

For a long time, I had been intentional about keeping the Sabbath day holy—perhaps for several years. I made the decision not to use the god of this world, money, on Sundays. I avoided stopping at grocery stores, gas stations, or restaurants, and instead focused on spending the day with my daughters. In the summer we would swim together, and in the winter we stayed home and enjoyed simple time together.

When my daughters moved out of the house and began their own lives, I was less convinced of keeping the Sabbath holy. I started to loosen some of my convictions. If I needed something to make lunch or dinner, I would shop after church. I wouldn’t plan my week as tightly and found myself doing this more and more.

The Lord Led Me To Keep The Sabbath

One evening before falling asleep, I asked the Lord to speak to me about whatever He wanted me to hear.

The next morning, just before waking, I was lying on my back when I felt as though someone had taken hold of my right foot and turned it to the right, then to the left, and then to the right again. After that, my foot stopped moving. I immediately woke up wondering what that was about. I knew that there was a Bible verse about “turning thy foot” so I looked it up. I could not remember where it was, so I searched those words and found the Scripture.

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”( Is 58:13-14 ESV)

In that moment, I became completely convinced that keeping the Sabbath holy was indeed something the Lord desired of me, and I also realized how far I had drifted from that conviction.

I felt the Holy Spirit teaching me not only about avoiding unnecessary spending on Sundays, but also about honoring the Sabbath in a deeper way altogether. I felt led to arrange my vacations so I would avoid traveling on Sundays whenever possible, and treat the day as something set apart for the Lord rather than for worldly activity- even while on vacation.

What I took from this experience is that if we truly desire to follow the Lord, He will indeed answer us. God is faithful to correct and guide those who sincerely seek Him. When we ask the Lord to speak, we should be willing to listen. Sometimes His correction comes quietly, personally, and directly through His Word. And when He redirects our steps, it is always for our good and for His glory.

I hope this convinces you and your family to follow the Sabbath and make it holy. God will be glorified through your life and this will bless you as well!

Food For Thought,

Lisa