Finding Rest

Jesus was aware that true rest doesn’t come from simply more time in your day, it comes from being in His presence and allowing Him to carry your heavy burden.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. MATTHEW 11:28

In today’s Scripture, Matthew records part of a sermon that Jesus often preached. It was Jesus’ conclusion that was most memorable for His listeners, for Matthew, and perhaps for you as well. Jesus calls everyone who is weak, weary, tired, famished, sick, burdened, or looking for something different to search no further and come to Him. He proclaims that in Him a person can discover true rest. In verse 29, Jesus uses the metaphor of a wooden crosspiece—a yoke that fastens two animals together for plowing—to illustrate how He gives this rest. In other words, the God of the universe is volunteering to take on our load, teaching us how to live, demonstrating gentleness and humility, so our souls can experience rest.

This invitation wasn’t any other that people in the first century would have heard. Similarly, Jesus’ invitation to find rest remains true for you and me today. While we ought to be thankful for a good night’s rest and an extra hour to our day, ultimately we ought to thank God for the true rest that comes only from taking Jesus’ yoke upon us.