At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
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.” Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus’ call goes out to all of us who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. The world has no rest to offer us, and the cares of this world can overwhelm the strongest of us. The issues that we cannot control or change can become a yoke that are difficult and heavy to carry. There is no rest when we are overburdened by those cares, but Jesus knows our condition.
He invites us to come to him with child-like faith and trust Him that He has the power and the answers to resolve our problems. He calls us to a lifestyle of humility and dependence on Him. This positions us for rest rather than restlessness. To have a child-like faith, at times, looks foolish and unwise. This is a spiritual battle that must be fought by living a lifestyle of humility and dependence on the Lord.
Some of us have a tendency to take on more responsibility than we should. We think that the success of most situations depends on our hard work and ingenuity. We are used to making things happen. When we are successful in achieving our goals, it reinforces our view of hard work and self-effort. If we are not successful, then we attribute it to not doing our best. Some of us equate rest to laziness or having no purpose.
We need to admit that we are addicted to “doing” and that we will find every excuse for self-exertion. This is a stronghold that must be broken in our lives. We cannot try to control our lives and, at the same time, take on God’s yoke and enter His rest.
I had a few anxious and restless days lately. Last night, I found that when I just focused on Him and declared my trust in Him, I regained my peace and rest. There are things that we may not have answers for right away, but God is still on the throne, and He has a plan. We can rest in Him and trust our heavenly Father.
Rest is our privilege as the Children of God! My prayer is that we are not burdened by cares of life and that we experience His rest, peace, and joy!
