An OPEN INVITATION to receive ‘PERFECT’ REST!
October
11 Bible Reading: Matthew Chapters 10-12
An OPEN INVITATION to receive ‘PERFECT’ REST
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For
My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30)
This above
passage (vv. 28–30) is peculiar to Matthew’s gospel alone. To those burdened by
the weariness of the world or, the load of religious legalism, Jesus offered
the experience of communion with Him in which there is rest for the soul. When
we are weary in life’s struggles, we are invited to ‘come’ to Him. Believer's Bible Commentary explains that to ‘come’ means to believe (Acts 16:31); to
receive (John 1:12); to eat (John 6:35); to drink (John 7:37); to look (Isa.
45:22); to confess (1 Jn. 4:2); to hear (John 5:24, 25); to enter a door (John
10:9); to open a door (Rev. 3:20); to touch the hem of His garment (Matt. 9:20,
21); and to accept the gift of eternal life through Christ our Lord (Rom.
6:23).
The rest that Jesus offers us is unearned
and unmerited. This is the rest of
salvation that comes from realizing that Christ finished the work of
redemption on Calvary’s cross. It is the rest
of conscience that follows the realization that the penalty of one’s sins
has been paid once for all and that God will not demand payment twice.
This does
not mean that there are no problems, trials, labor, or heartaches in the
Christian life. But it does mean that we do not have to bear them alone. We are
yoked with One who gives sufficient grace for every time of need. To serve Him
is not bondage but perfect freedom. J. H. Jowett says:
“The fatal mistake for the believer
is to seek to bear life’s load in a single collar. God never intended a man to
carry his burden alone. Christ therefore deals only in yokes! A yoke is a neck
harness for two, and the Lord himself pleads to be One of the two. He wants to
share the labor of any galling task. The secret of peace and victory in the
Christian life is found in putting off the taxing collar of ‘self’ and
accepting the Master’s relaxing yoke.”
Prayer is the place where burdens
change shoulders.
Jesus offers to lift our burdens for us. Let us understand that Jesus is the
only real solution for our ongoing problems, stress and worry. Today, let us
cast our burdens upon Him – for He will sustain us according to His word and
give us the ‘perfect’ rest that we need so badly!
"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." (Psalms 55:22)
