The Promise of Rest
Daily Reading: (Matthew 11:28-29):
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Did you know that God has promised you rest? We are a nation that for the most part is weary, tired, worn-out, depressed, agitated and afraid. Searching and seeking for the next thing that could help bring us relief. Every single one of us could benefit from finding rest. In fact, the Bible says in Hebrews 4:10-11 we are to labor or strive for only one thing: “For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:10-11). Let us make every effort to receive the rest Jesus is offering to us and we can do that by going to the promise of rest that Jesus made for us in Matthew 11:28-29.
Who should come to Jesus? The obvious answer should be everyone. Everyone needs Jesus. The text is clear. “All who are weary and burdened.” Should come to Him. Have you ever been weary and burdened in life? Yes! Come to Jesus- every single one of us.
Jesus is painting a word picture here this word in the Greek a metaphor is used of a man or woman who has a great load laid upon him/her, which he/she must carry to a certain place: every step reduces their strength, and renders the load all the more oppressive. The job of the Law was to help us realize how great a burden we carried that we are not going to make it to the grand destination of heaven if we try to carry the load ourself. Salvation happens when we lay our burdens down on the one who is willing to carry them for our sake, and we are given His rest (Matthew 11:28-29). "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).
Each one of us were bound on heavy burdens; and laboring, by their observance of the law (which is unable to make any of us righteous), the Law and it’s requirements burdened us and weighed us down so that we might consider another way- a better way- an invitation to lay down your load, and receive the salvation procured for them by Christ. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened. It is a universal invitation to all.
The promise is that as you fill your mind with His word and take His yoke upon you, (which is His teaching) God will give you rest. Your situation doesn’t have to improve for rest to come. Your answer doesn’t need to be obvious for you to find rest. Come to Jesus and receive His finished work and there will be rest and there will peace in your soul today.
“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness” (Proverbs 23:4). What this verse is warning us is that can wear yourself out trying to get to the place of not being weary anymore. You can’t achieve freedom from weariness or tiredness yourself. There is an invitation to all (the weary and burdened) and the promise is you will find/be given rest in Jesus.
Jesus wants to give you rest. And He says that the way you receive rest is to be yoked with Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. In ancient culture, the word yoke was a term that was used to describe submission. So, when someone was described as being yoked to someone or something, it was communicating the idea that he or she was in submission to that person or thing. To find rest is to submit ourselves to the teaching of Jesus.
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