Rest for the Weary

Verse of the day: Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me all [you] who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. 30 For My yoke [is] easy, and My burden is light.

Life can wear us down. We have trials, tribulations, challenges, and difficulties, that can stress us, stretch us, and sometimes break us. Along with that, there are many that have an added burden. This burden is heavy, and it is not humanly possible for any of us to carry. Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, has come to relieve us of this burden. For the Jews, it was the burden of a ritualistic system, that was made heavier by hypocritical additions (many of which were given more importance than the Law they already could not faithfully keep); Mt 23:4. For the sinners, the weariness of sin, and it's consequences. For those who were penitent, the heaviness of guilt. For the believers, the ongoing battle with temptation. For each one there is rest, and relief. Jesus' invitation is for all who will come to Him. For many, this year has been one filled with pain, sorrow, and the weight of heavy burdens. The coming year does not have to be a repeat of what has passed, and is passing. Entering into God's rest is a choice. We can choose to remain in our misery, or we can choose to give it to Jesus, who in turn will give us His yoke and burden which are far easier to carry. Why? Because He is meek, not only in character, but also in His dealings with us. We can ask for no better Master than our Lord Jesus. The burden He wants us to carry is to believe, and have faith, in Him. When we do, then the heavy burdens we carry will become light, because we will no longer carry them. Jesus already paid the price to remove these burdens from our lives. No longer are the rituals, and burdens, placed on the Jews a necessity. No longer does sin have to control us or enslave us. No longer does guilt have to hold us down, and stifle our ability to grow in Christ. No longer do we have to give into temptation, for He, with every temptation, will give us a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13). The Messiah's yoke is this, that we believe on Him, and His doctrine; that we surrender, in obedience to His Word, and His Spirit. That we love God with all that we are, and is in us, and that we love our neighbor as ourselves, (Lk 10:27). The bottom line is that each of us must choose what life will be, going forward. We can choose to continue trying to carry the burdens which are impossible for us to carry, in and of ourselves, until they break us down, and destroy us; or we can call upon Jesus, take hold of His salvation, and exchange our burdens for His yoke and burden. For those of us who already know Him, we must decide if we want to continue worrying about the things that already belong to Him, or find rest in Him, and enjoy the peace and joy that can only come from having an intimate, and trusting, relationship with the one true God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.