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Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to Christ and Find Real Rest!

Matthew 11:28-30: Come to Christ and Find Real Rest!

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) "Come to me, all you who are weary and 
burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on 
religion? Come to me. Get away with me and youll recover your life. 
Ill show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me 
- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I 
wont lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me 
and youll learn to live freely and lightly. 

   If you find that Christianity exhausts you, draining you of 
your energy, then you are practicing religion rather than enjoying a 
relationship. Jesus said that a relationship with Him would bring rest to your 
soul. Your walk with the Lord will not make you weary; it will 
invigorate you, restore your strength, and energize your life. 
   Hard work or lack of sleep can make you tired. This fatigue 
can usually be remedied by a good rest. But there is a deeper 
fatigue that goes beyond physical tiredness. There is an emotional 
exhaustion that comes from experiencing heavy burdens and draining crises. 
There is a tiredness deep within your soul that comes from carrying 
the weight of the needs of others. You can go on a vacation, but 
your soul will not be restored. This condition can only be rectified 
by finding rest in Christ. 
   Some zealous Christians want to do all they can to serve 
Christ, and they exhaust themselves in the process. It was to these that 
Jesus extended His invitation to go to Him and learn from Him. Jesus 
spent most of His earthly ministry surrounded by needy multitudes. He 
faced relentless opposition, He often prayed throughout the night, and 
He rarely had any privacy, yet He always received the rest and 
strength that came from His Father. It was not that Jesus did not work 
hard but that He knew the path to spiritual rest. Are you weary? Go 
to Jesus and let Him give you His rest. His rest will restore your 
soul as nothing else can. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and 
Richard Blackaby] 

   Weary and burdened may describe you. 
   Weariness comes with being human. We fill our schedule too 
full. We run out of energy. The demands on our time overwhelm us. We 
get a bad night's sleep. We succumb to the common cold germ  
   Burdens come with being alive. We have responsibilities. 
People make demands of us. We all have - to one degree or another - an 
awareness of our own sin, of the hurts of those around us, of the needs of 
the world...  
   But if you are weary and burdened because of what you're 
doing for the Lord, you are not yoked to Him. Those who walk in the 
Lord's strength as they serve Him do not complain. Because His yoke is 
light. Those who seek to produce for God by their own efforts will 
encounter frustration and disappointment. They will grow weary and feel 
burdened. God does not burn people out!  
   Are you serving where God wants you to serve? Remember that 
He does not reward our duty; He blesses our relationship with His 
Son. Keep that relationship with Jesus your priority as you serve 
God. [Being Still With God Every Day by Henry Blackaby] 

   Jesus gives us an incredible promise of entering into God's 
rest, of finding rest for our souls as we draw near to him. But how 
can we draw near unless we carve out time to enter his loving 
embrace? 
   Rest isn't only for our souls; it's also for our minds and 
bodies. In our limited capacity on earth, we can only go so long before 
we need a break. But if we regularly rest, then we allow God to 
replenish us long before we've overextended ourselves. 
   Fitness expert Sean Foy says one of the best things we can do 
for our bodies, especially if we are challenging ourselves on a 
regular basis, is to take a break. This is one of the best things we can 
do for our souls as well. Take a break. Carve out time for quiet in 
your life. Make it a habit. 
   Being intentional about respite is invaluable for our minds, 
bodies, and souls. [The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional] 

ILLUSTRATIONS

   A few months ago, someone told me, "I'm ready to hit bottom. 
When will I get there?" This is how I answered: "When you stop 
digging!" It's simple, really. We hit bottom when we finally get tired of 
being beat up by ourselves and others. Then and only then, at the 
point of complete surrender, do we find rest. This isn't the sitting 
and doing nothing kind of rest " its peace of mind. 
   Peace of mind is the greatest rest of all. But before we can 
get there, we have to wave the white flag and say, I give up! It's 
not easy, but there are a few things that can help you. First, 
surround yourself with people who are having victories and making 
progress in their recovery and in their lives. Second, stop digging your 
hole deeper by flooding your thoughts with the bad thinking that has 
gotten you where you are. Third, fill your mind with good things by 
memorizing Scripture and reading encouraging books. 
   Peace of mind is attainable, but it requires a new lifestyle, 
new habits, new behaviors, and relationships that are strong and 
upright. With God's help, we can all find our way, but nothing less than 
complete commitment will get us there. 
   Father, I want peace of mind. I have been a captive to my 
painful, troubling, disobedient thoughts for far too long. As I surrender 
to you, surround myself with good people, and flood my mind with 
your Word, I pray that you will bring me the gift of peace. In Jesus' 
name, Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny 
Baker] 

   I dont know a single person who isn't just worn out. We 
are all carrying burdens, loads far too hard to bear. It's so 
important to know that we don't have to carry those burdens alone.  
   God's Word says that if we take our burdens to Jesus, he will 
give us rest. He doesn't say that he can give us rest or he might 
give us rest. He says that he will give us rest. It's a sure thing. 
All we have to do is show up and unload. How does he do it? How does 
he lift our burdens off our shoulders and onto his? I don't know. 
I'm not sure anyone does. What I do know is that I've been there. 
I've taken my weary self to him - all my hurts, hang-ups, and habits; 
all my worries about the people I love; all the difficulties that 
this world can throw at us - and every time, he has comforted me, 
soothed me, helped me to take a breath, and rest. 
   Rest is more than an instant in time. It's a process of inner 
repair and restoration. God can bring rest to our tired backs, but only 
after we've laid down the load we've been carrying. That's our part - 
laying it down. Then we can enter into rest. 
   Father, thank you for letting me unload all my burdens on 
you, and thank you for sweet rest. In Jesus' name, Amen. [Celebrate 
Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny Baker] 

   All I want to do today is lie down ... but I can't. My kids 
are arguing, my wife's car has to go to the mechanic, I have urgent 
e-mails to answer, and the phone won't stop ringing. My "to do" list is 
growing by the minute. This is not a lie-down day! 
   On days like this - days when our bodies need rest, our souls 
need rest, where do we turn? In the past we may have turned to 
something like a drug, a website, a food, a credit card, hoping to find 
some rest. We might even have found it temporarily. But sooner or 
later, we have to realize there is just one place to go when we need 
rest - and that's Jesus. 
   We don't have to worry about whether he'll be glad to see us; 
he invites us to come. He knows what we need and how to give it to 
us. He knows how exhausting it can be just dealing with earthly 
matters like cars and children and home repairs and money worries and 
relationships and health problems. And he knows that real rest starts on the 
inside and moves outward. When we need rest, it only makes sense to go 
to the One who can help us carry our burdens, strengthen us, and 
give us the rest we so desperately need. 
   Father, for me every day seems like a no-lie-down day. Help 
me to find the rest I need and the strength to take care of the 
business of life. In Jesus' name, Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily 
Devotional by John & Johnny Baker] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

Come to Me, and rest in My loving Presence. You know that this 
day will bring difficulties, and you are trying to think your way 
through those trials. As you anticipate what is ahead of you, you forget 
that I am with you - now and always. Rehearsing your troubles results 
in experiencing them many times, whereas you are meant to go 
through them only when they actually occur. Do not multiply your 
suffering in this way! Instead, come to Me, and relax in My Peace. I will 
strengthen you and prepare you for this day, transforming your fear into 
confident trust. (Mat. 11:28-30; Jos. 1:5, 9) [Jesus Calling by Sarah 
Young] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

http://www.abible.com/devotions/1999/19990114-1614.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES AND SEMINARS

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/

http://www.aBible.com