Matthew 11:28 - The Invitation Of All Invitations.
Matthew 11:28 (NIV) Come to me, all you who
are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Only God Can De-stress Your Soul
When youre stressed out, how do you
typically unwind? When youre exhausted and
overloaded, how do you de-stress? Maybe you watch a
movie. Perhaps you go out to dinner so you dont
have to cook. Or maybe you have a hobby or a
sport that helps you unwind.
Theres nothing wrong with any of those
things, but none of them will provide the relief you
really need. You can take all the naps in the
world, and they will rest your body - but they
wont rest your spirit.
Theres only one thing that can rest
your soul: God. Only he can give you that inner
peace that truly de-stresses you.
Jesus promises, Come to me, all who
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest (Matthew 11:28 RSV).
He doesnt say, Come to church.
He doesnt tell you to go to Bible study or
small group. When you are overloaded, theres
only one person who understands soul rest. At
times like that, what you really need more than
anything else is more time alone with God.
So if God is who you really need, why
dont you turn to him more often? If youre like
most people, you think you can handle it on our
own - or maybe you just dont realize that God
is waiting for you to call on him. Over and
over in the Bible, God says things like, Cry
out to me. Call out to me. Talk to me. Cast your
burdens on me.
If its been a while since youve
spent time alone with God, you may not know where
to start. Heres what Jesus told his
followers about prayer: Find a quiet, secluded
place so you wont be tempted to role-play
before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as
you can manage. The focus will shift from you to
God, and you will begin to sense his grace
(Matthew 6:6 The Message).
Maybe youve never spent time like this
alone with God, or maybe you have, but its been
weeks or months. Thats why youre overloaded.
You need to spend time alone with God in
silence. As you sit with him, spend time praying and
reading the Bible.
Are you running on empty today? The first
thing you need to do is call out to God for help.
Come to Christ, and he will give you rest. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
Refreshment for Our Souls
I love the word refresh Its such
a perfect word to speak of starting again or
returning to something. In fact, we even use this word
when it comes to our computers; if things freeze
up, we need to refresh our computer screens. And
sometimes it means that we need to completely reboot.
In the Christian life, sometimes we need
a reboot. Sometimes we need a refresher since
we find ourselves tired and exhausted. But
heres what Jesus said: Come to me, all of you
who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I
will give you rest (Matthew 11:28 NLT).
On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to
the people gathered in Jerusalem, Now
repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your
sins may be wiped away (Acts 3:19 NLT).
The Bible is very specific about how we
can find spiritual refreshment for our souls -
you will find it when you read and study the
Bible. Psalm 19:7 says, The instructions of the
Lord are perfect, reviving the soul (NLT).
I know its not always an emotional
experience when we open up the Bible and read it. But
this isnt about emotions; its about
replenishment, restoration, and getting perspective on
life, as well as direction from the Lord.
So, expect your soul to be refreshed as
you open the Word of God. Have you ever had a
verse that seemed to jump off the page? Maybe it
was a verse you had read before, but suddenly it
had new meaning and applied to your particular
situation. That is what it means to find refreshment
from the Word of God.
Could you use some spiritual refreshment
right now? The place to find it is from God
Himself. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Human nature is ever struggling for
expression, ready for contest; but he who learns of
Christ is emptied of self, of pride, of love of
supremacy, and there is silence in the soul. Self is
yielded to the disposal of the Holy Spirit. Then we
are not anxious to have the highest place. We
have no ambition to crowd and elbow ourselves
into notice; but we feel that our highest place
is at the feet of our Saviour. We look to
Jesus, waiting for His hand to lead, listening for
His voice to guide.... MB14-16
There are many whose hearts are aching under
a load of care because they seek to reach the
world's standard. They have chosen its service,
accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs. Thus
their character is marred, and their life made a
weariness.... He bids them seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and His promise is that
all things needful to them for this life shall
be added.... Our heavenly Father has a thousand
ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing.
Those who accept the one principle of making the
service and honor of God supreme will find
perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their
feet.... DA328-332
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
Matthew 11:28, 29 - The Invitation Of All
Invitations.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220314-0905.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/