Key Verse: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 CSB)
Rest. It can be a very elusive thing for many of us. With the demands of life upon us, and a commitment to take God’s kingdom work seriously, it can be very easy to grow weary and tired. I don’t know about you, but on a regular basis I’m thinking about various ways that I can get more rest. Sometimes though the rest we need isn’t just physical. It’s spiritual rest. It’s rest for our souls.
The people to whom Jesus was speaking in these verses knew what it meant to be “weary and burdened”. Many of them lived day-to-day in terms of meeting their basic needs. They also lived under foreign military oppression. And then there were the Pharisees, who with their legalistic tendencies would “tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders” (Matt.23:4). Without a doubt, Jesus’ words about finding rest were welcomed and timely.
To all those “who are weary and burdened”, Jesus extends an invitation that is coupled with a promise. The invitation is simple: Come and learn from me. In your fatigue from all that you have to carry and are loaded down with on a daily basis, Jesus invites you to come to Him. Take the time to sit quietly in His presence. Seek Him on your knees in prayer. Learn to listen. Carve out the time in your life to simply stop and learn from Jesus. Discipline yourself to abide in Him before you abound in His work.
To the one who does this, Jesus makes this promise: “I will give you rest”. As you come to Him and learn from Him, “you will find rest for your souls”. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your life spent following Jesus is going to be easy. In fact, in most cases you should expect the opposite. But it does mean that even in the demands and pressures of life, you can drink from the river of His life that will give you the refreshment and rest you so desperately need.
Are you feeling burdened and weary from the journey? Take some time to stop and sit at Jesus’ feet. Learn from and listen to Him. Enjoy the rest and refreshment for your soul that He promises to give you today.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your promise of rest for my soul. As I come to you today, just as you have asked me to do, I pray that you would refresh me in every way. Fill me again with your Spirit. Renew my joy, my strength, and my passion for you. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
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