You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7-8
Ah, Columbus Day. Thank you Christopher for discovering America! You provided a break just when I needed it. This is such a busy time in my life with football practice, football games, exam time at school for all the kids, church activities, birthdays, etc. All the hustle and bustle has gotten me completely worn out. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I would have Columbus Day off! I wasn’t expecting it so it was all the sweeter. Now, don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t that I had nothing to do over the holiday time. It was just that the routine and stress of the everyday was broken and I had a chance to relax for a moment and catch my breath before beginning again.
I recalled the invitation of Jesus to... "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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
That is so for me! His words clearly describe my condition and need. Jesus is standing by, ready to share my burden when I can’t take another step. Note that He offers to yoke up with us to help us carry the load. At the same time, He is aware that the physical and mental weariness of life can affect us deeper than we realize. We may not realize it but sometime we need “rest for our souls.” His invitation is not to quit our responsibilities or back away from our duties, it is to let Him help us carry the load.
Most people are weary in their spirits today. Henry David Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Many are troubled and agitated in their souls, and they try to find rest in all the wrong places. People look everywhere and try everything in the effort to find rest for their souls.
While people run here and there trying to find peace, Jesus says, so simply and so calmly, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. There is a place of rest; a place of quietness; a place of peace and His name is Jesus. He invites you to come to Him to find the rest your soul seeks. People are looking, running, seeking, struggling, striving, fighting, loving, rushing, searching all in an effort to find what only Jesus Christ can give.
The New Testament Greek definition for “rest” is not at all the same as the English. Christ’s rest is not a rest FROM work, but IN work. Not the rest of inactivity, but the harmonious working of our body, soul and spirit under the yoke of Christ.
Too many feel the demands of Christ are just another burden to bear, another set of demands on our life or another role to play. How far that is from the truth! Jesus says, For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." We’re the ones who make it hard, not Him. He is offering an invitation to help with life and its demands.
So, as good as the Columbus Day holiday felt, there is a real possibility that, stepping back into the hustle and bustle of work, school, church and home responsibilities yoked to Christ, I may find daily “rest for my soul.” A soul at peace can do wonders for a life.
Scripture to Claim:
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. Psalms 68:19
