Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
Most of the Road Trips that I took as a young boy were very busy. Once, we drove all the way from Los Angeles to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. It was a two-week, 1,300-mile journey through the heart of America. There were so many stops, fights, and campgrounds that we went through to reach our final destination. When we finally got home, it took a couple of weeks to recover from our vacation. Road Trips are always busy.
The Bible is filled with stories of people who, though restless and busy, found their peace and solace through being close to God. In the Old Testament, we see that Moses found his rest by focusing on God. He developed a relationship with God that sustained him through the difficulty of leading the people. David also found rest from his anxiety about being chased by the authorities. Elijah, too, discovered the importance of hearing God's whispers when his world seems to be crumbling all around him.
In the New Testament, Jesus gave us the promise of rest. Jesus looked at the busy, fearful, and weary people who were all around Him when He walked the earth and gave them an invitation. It is important to note that this invitation didn't come to those who felt like they had it all together, nor those who in their own eyes were wise. Instead, this invitation is for the humble. Those who desperately admit their need for God will find true rest, not just the comfort of a brief rest along the journey, but a rest that satisfies their soul for eternity.
Jesus knew how busy we would be and invites us to move from being frenzied into a life of focus. We get more frenzied when we don't take time for our own relationship with God. Have you ever noticed that? The less time that we spend alone with God, the busier we become. Life can be overwhelming without the rest that Jesus promised each one of us.
What are some steps that you need to take this week to move from being frenzied to being focused? Take some time to journal and to process some steps that you can take to find rest. Here is a hint and spoiler to this challenge: rest is only possible when you humbly make time to get close to Jesus.
Read Matthew 11:25-30 (NLT)
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!
“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
©2024 Sagebrush Church
