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God's Blessings and Sabbath Observance

Question

Does the way we observe the Sabbath increase or diminish the blessings of God in our lives?

Quick Answer

Yes!

Bible Answer

Isaiah 58:13-14 (KJV) "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: 14 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."

Jeremiah 17:27 (KJV) "But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched."

Inspired Answer

"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. But, on the other hand, the angels were turning from those who failed to appreciate the sacredness of God’s sanctified day, and were removing from them their light and their strength. I saw them overshadowed with a cloud, desponding, and frequently sad. They felt a lack of the Spirit of God.  {2T 704.3}

"And the Lord says, “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, honorable; ... then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.” Isaiah 58:13, 14. To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28." {DA 289.1

Further Thoughts

The Sabbath is referred to as the Prince of days and should be the most wonderful day of the week. The opportunity to withdraw our minds from the things of the week, the blessings of ceasing our regular labor, the time to spend meditating on the things of God, the privilege of being in relationship with the creator God, combine to bring great joy and and blessings to those who value the hours of the Sabbbath—who make the Sabbath a delight. From the texts of the Bible and the quotation listed above, we learn that God notices and blesses those who honor Him in joyfully keep the Sabbath. Those who do not value the Sabbbath, who do not honor God in their Sabbath-keeping, not only do not gain the promised blessings, but the angels apparently turn away from them and they lose lose the blessings they have.—Dan