“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5:12).

Sabbath. Why does God command us to keep the Sabbath? It’s not a suggestion. It’s not only a good idea. It’s a command.

There are multiple reasons why it’s good to stop and rest. We were not created to just keep going.

A couple of observations. Even for the most ardent keeper of God’s word, the one commandment we seem to have no qualms breaking is this one. What’s crazy about that is that this is one of the ten big ones! We do our best not to lie, steal, covet. We do our best to honor God, not to take his name in vain. But the Sabbath…? Blah, blah, blah.

Why would God command the Sabbath and place it as one of his most important foundational commandments? Perhaps this commandment, more than others, says, “I trust you.”

• I trust that even when I stop, you will keep everything going
• I trust that the production and the building of kingdoms, ministries, churches, families, businesses doesn’t depend on me

In this season of busy-ness, how are you keeping the Sabbath? When do you stop? How do you cease from work?

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:1-4).

What makes a good shepherd a good shepherd is not how gently and kindly he pets the sheep.

What makes a good shepherd a good shepherd is how well he protects his sheep from predators, how he feeds them, how he leads them to water.

When sheep are protected, well fed, and watered, sheep grow.

That’s the shepherd’s job.

The LORD is our shepherd.