Come
To Me All You Who Labor
and Are Heavy Laden!
"Come
to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light"
Matthew 11:28-30.
Jesus
is inviting all who labor and are heavy laden to come to Him
for rest and peace. How does that apply to us today?
Have
you seen the headlines lately? USA Today recently reported,
"Foreclosures Heading Through the Roof." Fox News
stated, "New wave of foreclosures will continue to rise
through 2009, 2010 and reach a high in 2011." Today's
economy is bombarding families with loss of jobs, mortgage
problems, foreclosures, financial and legal problems, and
a host of other issues that add to the stress of life. Many
industries and professions have been hit hard including the
auto industry, banks, real estate, teachers, and many businesses
large and small have gone away, they are out of business.
The effect on society around the globe has been overwhelming.
The stress
and burdens of life are overwhelming for many. The heavy laden
are not just those who are exhausted from labor or who carry
heavy physical burdens. The heavy laden include those with
heavy responsibilities and lack of resources to fulfill their
responsibilities; it may include those who suffer from broken
relationships, betrayal of confidence, the burden of guilt
for sin's committed. The heavy laden are those whose burden's,
whatever the cause, are overwhelming.
The Savior's
promise is, "Come to Me and I will give you rest."
Life has its stresses which at times seems far more than we
can bear.
I am
reminded of a quotation from Ellen White. "Our Lord says…
'When your duties appear stern and severe, and your burdens
too heavy to bear, remember that for your sake I endured the
cross, despising the shame'" Desire of Ages, p 659.
Jesus
experienced far more than we will ever be called to bear,
and He did it for you and me. In one of His last conversations
with His disciples He said, "These things I have spoken
to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will
have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world" John 16:33.
Jesus
offers His victory to you and me when He says, "Come
to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
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