Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
This passage of scripture teaches us the sacred truth that God is a Spirit, and our worship and praises, and whatsoever we offer, must also be accompanied with the right attitude, which includes being at peace with our brethren and fellowmen, as far as this is humanly possible. The preparation for proper Sabbath keeping not only involves laying aside our temporal work, and preparation of food and clothes etc., but it also includes the spiritual preparation of resolving disagreements and alienation with family members and with brethren, so that our praise and worship can be acceptable to God.
This aspect of proper Sabbath keeping needs to be addressed wherever it applies to our personal lives, for it is a fact that many of us sometimes go to church on Sabbath morning with hatred and anger in our hearts against some family member or one of our brethren with whom we may have had some unresolvable issues, and because of these bad feelings between friends, family and brethren, our prayers and praises do not go past the roof, for God is a spirit and they that worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth.
Before the Sabbath hours commence, there should be a period of earnest introspect reflection to see if we have wronged anyone or have had some argument or disagreement that was left hanging by a thread, and if any of these spiritual disorders are discovered, we should immediately set about making amends or healing the relationships as far as is possible, so that when we say "Happy Sabbath", our greetings and interactions would be sincere and acceptable to God. This is what the psalmist David is referring to when speaking about those who will enter into God's presence with praise and thanksgiving. Let's read:
Psalms 15:1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. ........ "He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
In our own experience we may at times find it necessary to seek out those with whom we may have had controversy with, or there may be instances where a close relative or family member may have treated us despitefully, and we probably had not forgiven them. Whenever this is the case, the Lord desires that we first make it right with others wherever possible, before coming into His presence, and before entering the Sabbath hours, so that we may rest according to the commandment, both in letter and in spirit.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which captures the spirit of true Sabbath keeping and worship, and it is the will of God that broken hearts be mended and relationships renewed as we come before His presence with thanksgiving. Let's read:
Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
May God add His blessing to the study and doing of His word. "God bless!