Find Rest in Christ

First of all, we must come to Jesus for our salvation (trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior and follow Him). Sin-sick soul is definitely weary and burdened. Salvation rest is found in Christ alone. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) These verses (Matthew 11:28-30) are such a beautiful personal invitation from the Lord of lords, the King of kings. He wants us to have a personal relationship with Him. Sadly, those who don't see the need for a Savior will not come to Jesus. Jesus also gives us eternal rest in Heaven and soul rest for our daily lives.

This invitation also applies to us children of God who are weary and burdened in our daily lives and/or in our struggle to rely on our own strength. Notice that Jesus invites the weary and burdened, not the strong and self-sufficient. The latter don't acknowledge their need for Him. Do you feel beaten down, discouraged, physically tired, emotionally fatigued, mentally drained, and/or spiritually exhausted? Do you feel heavy-laden (with sin, guilt, fear, worry, shame, sorrow, envy, doubt, temptation, etc.)? If so, come to Jesus and lay all your burdens down at His feet. He is our Burden-Bearer and our Rest-Giver! "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." (Psalm 68:19) Come and find rest in Christ. Abide in Him. He offers Himself as the solution to soul's weariness. He will give you the supernatural rest that the world can neither give to you nor take away from you.

We need Christ's blood to cleanse us, His righteousness to clothe us, and His Spirit to convict us. We need Christ every day...for me, every moment. "As we need Christ--so we come to Christ. Not once for all, but we continue to come. We must come to Him...in every trial, in every trouble, in every conflict, to unburden our minds, to find rest for our souls. We come to Him...for wisdom, for strength, for holiness." (James Smith) Come to Him = Trust in Him and rely upon Him.

"Don't let yourself become a victim of fruitless fretting. If you do, you'll lose the peace and joy that is your rightful heritage. Instead, set aside part of each day to talk with God, thanking Him for who He is and what He has done for you. Then, by reading His word and believing His comforting promises, your faith will grow stronger and a supernatural peace will flood your soul. Jesus said, "Come to Me,...and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). Have you learned to rest in Him?" (Henry G. Bosch)

"We mutter and sputter, we fume and we spurt;
We mumble and grumble, our feelings get hurt;
We can't understand things, our vision grows dim,
When all that we need is communion with Him!"
(Unknown)

It's paradoxical that Jesus tells the weary and burdened to take His yoke upon them in order to receive rest. In essence, He tells us to yield to His Lordship and to submit our will to His perfect will which comes from His gentle and humble heart. His yoke (His teaching) is easy and His burden (His command, His will) is light because He is not harsh or oppressive like the Pharisees. His yoke is yoke of grace that brings freedom, peace, and joy, not yoke of Law or legalism that brings bondage. As we surrender all to Him and learn from Him, He will lead us beside quiet waters, refresh our soul, and guide us along the right paths for His Name's sake (Psalm 23:2-3). As a result, we will find true rest.

What a blessed life it is to rest and rejoice in the Lord in all circumstances, no matter what's going on in our lives!

"How blest Thy saints! How safely led!
How surely kept! How richly fed!
Savior of all in earth and sea,
How happy they who rest in Thee!"
(Henry Francis Lyte)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your warm, loving invitation and promise! Please help me to fix my heart and mind on You and rest in You always. Please refresh my soul and give me strength to do Your will and to walk in Your ways each and every day.

"The believer who is confident of God's providence, who rests in His grace, and who relies on His Holy Spirit will experience the miracle of His quieting peace." (H.G. Bosch)