Rest!

Rest!

Matthew 11:28 AMP

[28] “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 

The world is indeed a burdensome place. In all the places you turn to, there are issues to resolve, or a problem to be addressed. Let us consider the context of the verse above. Jesus had finished speaking to His disciples and had entered the cities of Galilee to teach the people about the kingdom of God. These were the people He had been sent to presch to first, but as we know, familiarity with the messenger became the problem the people could not overcome. They thought that they knew his parents and siblings, and did not think that there was anything special about Him. This became the stumbling block to the reception of these people to the message of salvation that Jesus had brought. 

Before we point the finger at them, can we also consider our own lives today? Are we receptive to the message of salvation in its simple form, or are we trying to justify effort and labour in earning that which Jesus offers us freely? This was the message of Jesus to the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. These were cities that had clear sight of the miracles that Jesus performed, yet they remained stubborn and resistant to the message of salvation. Even John the Baptist, one used mightily by God to lay the groundwork for the coming of Jesus, had to send men to ask Jesus if He was the coming Messiah or if they were to expect another. 

For all who seek clarity on the way forward, the message in the verse above is for us. The world does not have the answers we really need, because it is not set up to answer those kinds of questions. The temporal world does not have answers to the questions of eternity. If you need answers to the questions of eternity, you come to the eternal God, the One who was, who is and who is to come; the ageless, timeless and limitless God. The great thing about this God too is that He wants us to come. That is the first sentence in the verse above: 'Come to me'. He is not looking for people who are perfect from the start; He is looking for people He can work in and on, and make them into what He wants.

Of course, God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. This is why the verse above extends the invitation to all who are weary and heavily burdened. If you are fine, you do not nees help. If you know you need help, it is clear who has the help you need. If you are tired of religious rituals that provide no peace, come to the One who is able to give you the kind of rest that refreshes the soul, calms all fears, secures the present, and also guarantees the future. That is the greatest gift of God: an assurance that all will end well with Him. That is rest, even when I am walking with and working for God. What could be better? God's time of favour is here.