Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28
Have you ever really needed rest? I know I have. Maybe you have been really busy and going nonstop. Maybe you were up all-night studying for a test or working the night shift. Or maybe you just cannot fall asleep. Whatever the case, we all know what it is like to be weary and need rest. As many know, a lack of rest makes us less productive, less attentive, and more irritable. On the contrary, when we are well rested, we become better versions of ourselves. We have more energy, are more productive, and are usually in a much better mood. Without rest, we could even die.
God knows that rest is essential. And that is why God gave Israel the Sabbath day. Exodus 20:11 states, “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” The Sabbath day was meant to be a day in which man would refrain from his work to rest and enjoy God’s creation. However, as we see in Exodus 20:11, the Sabbath was not meant to be a burden but a gift from God to mankind. When God commanded Israel to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, He was pointing out the necessity of rest. Thus, God understood the value and benefits of physical rest.
But the Bible also speaks about a rest that is even more vital than physical sleep, and that is spiritual rest. Matthew 11:28-30 states, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Life is hard. With busy schedules, deadlines, bills, trials, temptations, stress, anxiety, depression, sickness, and loss one can easily find themselves spiritually fatigued. But Christ commands those who are weary and heavy laden (emotionally and spiritually drained) to lean on Him and He would provide rest for their souls. If we choose to trust in Christ and obey His commandments, we will be completely satisfied. Psalm 23:3 states, “He restores my soul.” The more willing we are to follow and surrender to the will of Christ the more we will learn from Him. And as we learn His wisdom, we experience soul restoration. However, if we resist and disobey Christ we will find ourselves outside of divine rest just like the people of Israel.
Additionally, Christ promises a yoke that is easy (v. 30). This does not mean that the Christian life is without difficulty. In fact, living a Christian life can actually increase our chance of difficulty. The yoke that Christ mentions is meant to be metaphor to compare the yoke that farmers use for their oxen to that of Christian discipleship. When we yoke ourselves to Christ, we are strengthened by Him and enabled to overcome adversity. Being yoked to Christ makes our troubles easier to bear. The yoke that Christ offers is meant to be contrasted with the yoke of the law and legalism. Where the yoke of the law requires moral perfection and strict punishment, the yoke of Christ offers grace, mercy, and forgiveness for the weak and weary. Those who come and yield themselves to Christ will receive divine rest because Christ is gentle and humble.
Are you ready to find divine rest? Are you ready to trade the yoke of bondage for the yoke of Christ? Give it all to Christ and rest in Him today!
How can I better rest in Christ? (Use the REST Acronym)
Remember the cross. Remember that Jesus loves you and gave His life for you. Remember that Christ took the burdens of sin and death and placed them on His shoulders when He went to the cross.
Engage Scripture. Read and memorize Scripture to learn godly wisdom that will assist you when you need rest and peace.
Seek Christ. Give all your stress, anxieties, cares, worries, and burdens to Christ. He is sufficient for you and is able to grant your soul rest.
Trust in God’s promises. Trust that God can give you the rest you require to persevere and ultimately trust that one day all believers in Christ will obtain eternal rest in Christ’s Kingdom.
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