Jesus Calls Us to be a Recipient of Rest

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV, emphasis mine)
 
Do you realize that if you are not running His race you are in essence engaging in exhaustion? You see, when we run with the world we will be rewarded with a mind that regularly wrestles with worry or strapped with stress, bounded by burdens, and anchored in anxiety. Parents, pastors, professionals, politicians: no matter what place or station in which you find yourself, everyone is pummeled and pushed around with the pressures of life.  Does making more money mitigate the madness?  What if we drown ourselves with a drink or deliver ourselves from duress with drugs? So where do you go? What do you do? To whom do you turn for tranquility?
 
In Matthew 11:28-29, our Lord Jesus Christ instructs us to Come, Take, and Learn. Now before we continue it’s important to note that Jesus is not eliminating or exempting you from all pressures and demands present in a fallen world.  However, He will reward you with a rich reprieve, restoration and a recharging of the soul. What do the Scriptures say?
 
“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31 (KJV)
 
COME.
In our text Jesus unequivocally expresses that in order to experience the rest that escapes you, you must come to Him. This echoes His absolute authority to award us rest! Usually who or what we trust most is who we go to first. So come to Him first and He will quench your thirst.

I submit to you that Jesus is concentrating His call to those who were burdened. He called those who recognized they must come to Him to relieve their need instead of living in self-reliance.
 
TAKE.
All of us will find ourselves either taking on things that God gives us or things that we take on independent of God’s leading and wisdom. Sometimes the tasks become heavier because we also take hold of other people’s problems that God did not call us to bear. In addition, church folk and religious leaders load us down with burdens that they won’t even carry themselves such as rules and rituals of religiosity. We must purpose to only take on those things that God directed us towards through Scripture or by the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
“Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” Matthew 23:2-4 (KJV)
 
LEARN.
Jesus calls us to learn how to allow Him to help carry your concerns. Notice He did not cancel your concerns. You will have baggage in this world. But Jesus will give you the wheels so that the bags are easier to carry. Truth be told, Jesus carries us and our concerns. He is saying learn how to let and listen. Let Him help and listen to His loving words “I got this.” So suspend your self-sufficiency.

I close with four steps for securing rest for your souls.
Remember His words and commandments
Embrace His words and commandments
Stand in His words and commandments
Trust in His words and commandments
 
Come to Jesus, Take from Jesus, Learn from Jesus and you will find the rest that the world will never find.

For the Glory of God,

PBKSR