Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV, “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.”
I love the invitation that Jesus gives at the beginning. “Come to Me.” Sometimes the burdens we carry can cause us to want to shut down…we have become so weary in our burdens; we just don’t feel that we can go on any further. Maybe your burden is mental, emotional, spiritual, or even physical, either way, God’s word tells us in 1 Peter 5:7, NIV, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Jesus tells us to come to him and he will give us rest. So what are you carrying that you need to lie at the feet of Jesus?
There are so many things that we can learn from Jesus. One thing is that He made time to spend alone with His Father…with our Father. If Jesus took time with His Father, then we should be spending time with our Father. Our Father is kind and compassionate and cares about every detail of our life. Psalm 139 tells about His knowledge of us. By going to the Father, we can share our anxieties and seek rest from the one who knows us best, the one who knows what our future holds.
Another thing to learn is that Jesus did nothing apart from His Father. When we need direction in our lives we should seek Him first in what to do. John 5:19, NKJV says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” What things does this include? They include forgiveness, healing, having compassion and love for others, teaching and so much more. When you think about these things, they are applicable to us even today. Learning to forgive and be forgiven can bring healing to our souls. Having compassion and love for others can lift our spirits and make us feel good because we are doing something for someone else instead of focusing on ourselves. Learning from the teachings of Jesus Christ can help us to know how to live a full and abundant life, which Christ has died for us to have. All of these things can help us to find rest for our souls.
This world needs so much love! It needs the love of God! It needs more of the Jesus in you and the love of Jesus in you! It is so important to be able to take that time with our Father, to let Him bring healing to your soul, to let Him refresh your spirit, to allow Him to lead you in your future. By taking this time with Him, you will learn who He destined you to be. You were never meant to live this life a slave to sin, a slave to fear, a slave to anxiety or depression, a slave to addiction…2 Corinthians 3:17, NKJV, says “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit if the Lord.”
©2022 Leslie Wittenmyer—All rights reserved