Rest for the Weary
Are you carrying an impossibly heavy burden? Are you trying to manage a massive load all by yourself? Are there wounds and worries that are weighing down your soul?
It doesn’t have to be this way …
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
Jesus wasn’t saying to come to Him and do nothing. He’s not saying to quit your job and abandon your life and move to a deserted island. This isn’t a call to be idle, but an invitation to rest—and to work from rest.
A yoke is a device used for joining two animals together for a purpose like farm work—for plowing a field or pulling a heavy load. As always, two are stronger than one.
Jesus’ mention of the yoke implies there is still work to be done, but we don’t have to do it alone.
You have a Savior who is humble and gentle, whose compassion is deep and whose love is wide. He is so wild about you that He left the glories of heaven and became human to suffer and die—in order that you might live.
We must draw near to the One who carried the biggest burden of all—the sin and rebellion of the world. The One who conquered death and defeated the grave will eventually redeem all things … once and for all.
God longs for us to come close, to fall in step beside Him, and to lean into His grace. Why? Because we thrive when we live and work from a place of genuine rest.
He’s inviting you to come. Will you? If you’re not sure where to start, simply ask Him for help.
He Comforts Us
In ancient Israel, the rod and staff of a shepherd protected and guided the sheep, and even reminded the sheep that the shepherd was there. And so King David (who was a shepherd as a boy) used the metaphor in Psalm 23:4 to convey this truth: God was his protector and guide.
King David faced death many times and had enemies bent on killing him. He also dealt with his own sin issues and personal mistakes. But in the midst of all this, he repeatedly turned his attention to the faithfulness and assurances of God.
Where did he find these assurances?
King David would have been a student of the Hebrew Scripture, the Torah—the first five books in our Bibles.
To a Hebrew, the Torah wasn’t just a story about God, it was the very Word of God. It was authority, promise, and guide. It was this Word that David based his life—and his psalms—upon. David could write about God’s character because:
1. He knew the Word of God.
2. He experienced the faithfulness and goodness of God based ...