Reason for Joy

Were you inspired by the "Praise Service" last week? I was and I think it was because we not only sang praises to God, but there were personal testimonies praising God as well.

Praise, spoken as well as sung, is an important part of an inspiring worship service. Last time I ended up by quoting Psalms 100:4.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name

We are to come together to give God praise and thanks. Mrs White backs this up:

We should not come together to remain silent; those only are remembered of the Lord who assemble to speak of His honor and glory and tell of His power; upon such the blessing of God will rest, and they will be refreshed. Early Writings p115

Do you want to be refreshed each Sabbath morning? Do you want God's blessings? Then come to church ready to tell how God has blessed you the past week.

This is what God wants:

God desires His obedient children to claim His blessings and to come before Him with praise and thanksgiving. God is the Fountain of life and power... He has done for His chosen people that which should inspire every heart with thanksgiving, and it grieves Him that so little praise is offered. He desires to have a stronger expression from His people, showing that they know they have reason for joy and gladness. 6 Testimonies 364

God is aggrieved that we don't thank Him more.

Did you notice what "should inspire every heart with thanksgiving"?

So this week, if you want a more inspiring experience during the worship service, claim God's blessings then notice the things He does for you in answer to that prayer. Finally come to church ready to tell others about Him and to praise Him.

That quote from 6 Testimonies comes from an article entitled "The Observance of the Sabbath". Just reading through it made me realise something that I will go into more next time. Until then I want you think about this question:

Is there a special blessing available to Sabbath keepers that is not available to those who worship on Sunday?