Saturday Nights

Here it is Saturday night and Sunday morning is looming once again. For many in our world, Sunday morning means that they will be sleeping in or rising early to do something with the family. Others it means that part of the family will stay home while one or more will slowly drag themselves out the door to church wondering if it is worth all the effort. Then there are those who are the Saturday night crowd who live for the moment and have no plans for tomorrow as long as the night is young and "no harm is done."

But Saturday night is a different event for a pastor all together. It is one with mixed emotions. Depending on the week and what has happened during the week will depend on what those emotions will be.

Often the emotions run from an extreme high of Praising God and Glorifying Him and all He is. You cannot even begin to prepare to preach or teach until you come to realize it is not about you. Then you suddenly find yourself in the deepest valley that you have been all week realizing that you don't even deserve to stand before Him because you are a sinner and you are full of sin!

Once you have reached this point you know that God is speaking to you. You know your heart is open to Him. You start to see yourself as God sees you, not as man or even as you see yourself. You ask and seek forgiveness which He has promised. You come back to His Throne praising Him again with a refreshed and clean heart, full of joy and renewed energy.

One might think that this may take just a few minutes and all is done. I used to think this myself until I realized that it was more than a "bed time prayer." Preparing to bring God's message on Sunday morning, starts on Monday and runs through the Saturday night. It comes to fulfillment on Saturday night. Yet it is restful work. It is rewarding work. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

It does make me wonder though, how much time do we prepare ourselves to go and tell others about Jesus on a daily basis? Do we really think that a FEW minutes of prayer and Bible study is sufficient to be a witness for the one who died for us? We will study a recipe or read a book or play on a computer for hours but yet only find a few minutes to be with God. Doesn't that show what our priorities are? What do you think Jesus would say about that? If we spend so little time wanting to be with God and our Lord here on earth, will He say "Welcome, my good and faithful servant," when He calls us home?