Finding True Rest in Jesus

“Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.” — Matthew 11:28-30

How many times have you heard yourself say, “I am tired”? Is that a phrase you say a lot? If so, there is hope for you. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 11:28-30 that He is our ultimate source of rest. Life is hard. It is due to sin. The reason we have to work hard is the result of Adam and Eve's sin in Genesis 3:17. The good news is that when we turn to Jesus and admit the burden of sin is too much to bear, He provides us with the rest that we need.

Jesus provides us with true rest that we need when we confess Him as our Savior. When we acknowledge Him as our Savior, He trains us up in His ways. In the course of His training, we are taught by Him to be gentle and humble in spirit. This is important because in Jesus' time the Pharisees teachings were harsh. As a result, their rules and laws were impossible for people to live out (Matthew 23:4).

The rest Jesus gives us is not earned or deserved but is a gift from God. It is a gift that is given to us to help us when we experience problems, go through trials, or to make it through a day of hard work. Jesus never promised life will be easy and reminds us that we will experience troubles (John 16:33). However, He promises to provide us with sufficient grace and true rest in times of need.

Prayer of the day:

Dear heavenly Father,

Thank you for providing us with rest through Jesus. He is our ultimate source of rest when we are tired or burdened because of sin. Sin can weigh us down with guilt and shame, but Jesus takes it away. He is humble and gentle and full of grace, and we can lean on Him when we encounter trials. All honor and glory belong to You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!