Come to Me and I Will Give You Rest! Part I

"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.

These words of invitation and comfort were spoken to a multitude of people who were following Jesus and yet the words of Christ are applicable to every human being living today. Whether we know it or not, all are weary and many have heavy burdens to bear. Many of us, if not all, carry burdens that only Christ can remove. The heaviest burden is the burden of sin. If we were left to bear this burden, it would crush us. But God has provided a way for our burden of sin to be removed and buried forever. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world, John 1:29. "And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" Isaiah 53:6.

The Apostle Peter wrote, "Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7. We are to come to Jesus just as we are. "Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be opened for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger you will become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon the Burden Bearer" Desire of Ages, p. 329.

"Take My yoke upon you." The yoke is an instrument of service. Even now in some countries of the world cattle are yoked for labor, and the yoke is essential that they may labor effectively together. By this illustration Jesus teaches us that we are called to service with Him. We are to take His yoke upon us that we may learn from Him.

The yoke that binds us in service with God is the Word of God. From the Word of God we learn of His law of love revealed in Eden, proclaimed on Sinai, and in the new covenant is written in the heart. It is God's love that binds our hearts to the will and service of God, "We love Him because He first loved us" 1 John 4:19. If we were left to follow our own devices, to go where our will would lead us, we would fall into Satan's traps and become possessors of his attributes. Therefore God confines us to His written Word, which is noble, inspirational and elevating. God desires that we patiently and lovingly learn how to relate to and serve one another as Jesus has loved and served us. One of Christ's last messages to His Disciples before His crucifixion was that they love one another as Jesus had loved them. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another", John 13:34, 35. Love is the foundation of God's relationship with us and His desire for our relationship with one another. "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" Romans 13:10.

In every difficulty God prepares a way to bring relief for those who yield themselves to Him. Those who accept the yoke of Jesus, of making the service and honor of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet. "Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it'" Isaiah 30:21.

"Learn from Me" Jesus said. We are to enter the school of Christ, to learn from Him the lessons of life. "He will teach us His ways and we shall walk in His paths" Isaiah 2:3. The training we receive from God is a process that will lead us to become a member of His family. "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1.

"You will find rest for your souls." Many are concerned and burdened about unsettling trends in our society today. Newspaper headlines and television newscasts remind us of Christ's description in answer to the disciples' question, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" Jesus answered, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places" Matthew 24:3-7. Does this remind us of the world we live in today? We're concerned about rising energy costs, declining home values, uncontrolled crime in many of our communities, and the list of troubling issues goes on and on.

Why dwell on forces that are beyond our control? We get what we focus on. If we are in union with our Creator, yoked in relationship with Jesus, who "declares the end from the beginning" Isaiah 46:10, we do not need to worry about tomorrow and the next day. There is tremendous rest and relief in union with Christ. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever" Isaiah 26:3, 4.

When our will is conformed to the will of God, we will learn to share His gifts to bless others and we will find that in Christ, life's burdens are light. When Moses requested of the Lord, "Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight." The Lord replied to Moses, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" Exodus 33:13, 14. This is a prayer the Lord loves to answer.