Come to Me

Come to Me

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

I don't know about you but rest sounds really good to me today.  This life can move at such a fast pace that being worn out and burning the candle at both ends seems to be the new norm.  Just ask someone how they're doing and the response is often, "Busy!"  Let's face it.  We're all busy.  Between keeping the house and yard work done, working, taking care of the kids and training for a race, where does that leave God?   What place is he on your "to do" list?

The first thing he tells us to do is "come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened."  Boy if I heard that announcement on a loud speaker, I'd know immediately He was talking to me.  They wouldn't even have to announce me by name.  Weary?  That's me.  Heavy burdened?  Oh yeah.  How about you?  Would you think this announcement and calling was for you?  Would you come running?  Or would you finish your project first?  Scratch off number two on that list?  

Next, he offers to take our yokes.  If you're unfamiliar with a yoke, it is described as a heavy wooden harness that is placed over the neck of one or more oxen to help them pull heavy farm equipment or wagons. It allowed them to pull an extraordinary amount of weight they couldn't have pulled without it.    Our "heavy yoke" is anything that is weighing us down (guilt, stress, burdens).  How awesome that he offers to trade that yoke for His easy yoke.   See why He wants us to rest? He knows we need it.  

After we take that easy yoke, He tells us to learn from Him.  He knows it's hard to learn when our load is heavy.  It's hard to even concentrate.   He lightens it first so we can give him our full attention as the teacher. He then tells us to learn from Him.  As the student, we have to give him our complete trust as He teaches us His ways, to be gentle and humble in heart.   

Jesus knows that we need rest.  It helps us to focus on Him by turning off the world and tuning in to God...forgetting that "to do" list and remembering the "what He's done for me" list.   Take him up on His offer as often as you can (I would suggest daily) and give Him your heavy burdens and yoke.  In exchange, He will give you the rest your soul so desires.  

Heavenly Father, thank you for your promise of rest when the burdens of this world get too much to bear.  Help me to not be so busy as to forget that you are the number one priority in my life and that Your teachings are greater than any information I could be searching for on google.  In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.  

Happy running!!

Rest, replenish, for your fight is hard.-Lisa Schwandt