Time to Rest

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Scripture:

Matt. 11:25   At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants;  26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.  27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Matt. 11:28   “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  29 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.  30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Observation:

Living into the mission of Jesus takes faith because it doesn’t always make sense in the eyes of the wealthy and powerful. Instead, we are to live in faith — as little children.

Jesus’ relationship with his Father is unique. The Son lives out the Father’s mission and we are invited to participate in the mission, as well as the relationship.

The burden of the mission can seem overwhelming and when we try to carry it alone we will break. During the time of Christ a yoke was used to lighten the load. Jesus’ yoke not only lightens the load but it helps us in the mission. Instead of working hard on our own, we are encouraged to find rest for our souls. When he leads -- he takes on the burden.

Application:

I’m preaching to myself again today because I can get pretty excited about serving in God’s mission. At the same time I have a tendency to try and carry the burden myself. Over and over again the Lord reminds us to trust in him and his leading. Not only are we to trust in him, but we are to rest in him. We are to take a deep breath, relax and realize that God knows better than we do what we need to be doing and where we need to expend our energies. The best thing we can do today is to draw nearer to our Lord. He graciously invites us to come and rest with him.

From time to time I have the privilege of snuggling with my grand baby. I love scooping her up in my arms and holding her close in my arms. When she relaxes she lays her head on my chest and we just enjoy the moments of bonding together. I believe this is the invitation that we are receiving from the Lord today. The burdens of life will wear us down if we don’t take the time to simply rest. Resting in the Lord rejuvenates us for the challenges of life and ministry. Let’s make space in our lives for the strength and mission which we received from him.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the promise of rest. Amen.

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