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.
The Only Way
It’s common in today’s culture for people to believe that all roads—various religions or belief systems—lead to God.
While this way of thinking is widely accepted, it does not agree with what Jesus says in John 14:6. Jesus says that He is the only way to God, and no one can come to the Father unless they come through Him.
Jesus also says that He is the Truth, which means that all other truths must be measured against Him. He is objective truth. In other words: Jesus is the standard by which we can judge the rest of the world’s truth claims.
Lastly, Jesus says He is the Life. This means that it’s only through Jesus that we find true and eternal life. True life comes from following Jesus’ words and His path for our life.
A true and meaningful life begins with knowing Jesus. He alone has access to the good life that God intended us to live, as well as eternity with Him in heaven.
Spend a moment thanking Jesus for revealing the true path to life and salvation, and ...