The Call

Matthew 11:28 “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

“Come to me…” this is a point of decision for us as believers. We know our Lord has the very best intentions for us, but do we trust Him enough to respond when He says to us “Come…”? Are we spiritually courageous enough to come? Or are we dubious of the outcome and take just a few steps forward and halt?

Who does this apply to? “All who are weary and carry heavy burdens…” Even Christ grew weary, and the burden of our salvation was His to bear, not for us to carry alone (Matthew 26:36-46). Acknowledging that life is at times too much, the weight of this world can be overwhelming and consuming, by allowing Him to enter in so that you may experience a true relationship with the Person of Christ.

The Command and The Promise

Matthew 11:29 “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.”

“Take my yoke…” The “yoke,” in this sense is a verb, it means to “cause two people to be joined in close relationship.” It does require an action. Through a close relationship with Christ, and with other believers (discipleship), we are able to receive the promises in the latter part of this scripture, only by making ourselves available and teachable.

“Let me teach you…” again, a point of decision. To allow Him to take the lead, and surrender our right to be right, our right to self, is to experience true humility as we allow Christ to shape our character into His Holiness. We’ve all heard, “More of Him, Less of Me” but is it just a catchy phrase? Or are we truly seeking this to be true in our daily walk?

“…you will find rest for your souls.” is most definitely a promise. When we truly surrender our control to Him, and allow Him unrestricted access, and we are in His Will we can most assuredly experience a quickening in our spirit. This new life in our spirit will shed the burden and weariness we’re carrying, because we know we are not going it alone!

The Trade Off

Matthew 11:30 “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Enter into a relationship with me, is what Jesus is saying, and the trade off for choosing to be in this relationship is having a lighter load to carry around. Does He take away our responsibility to act, to continue to be responsible? No. But He promises to share it with you, so that it is not an overwhelming weight!

A Simple Prayer

Lord,

I come before You, and lay my burdens at the foot of Your Cross! I truly desire peace and rest for my soul, and I know that You are the only way! Thank you for Your promise of rest, and I thank you for inviting me into a personal relationship with you, Lord. Fill me with Your Peace as I respond by trusting in You more and more.

In Jesus Name,

AMEN!