Come To Me, Those Who Are Weary…

Scripture

Matthew 11:28-29 NLT Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Let’s Understand 

It’s funny how life is; whether you have faith or not, it’s hard. Just keep living, and you will come face-to-face with things that wear you down. The question then becomes, when hard is your reality, what anchors you to keep living life, what motivates you to keep going? Most people say they’re family, some may even say their job, while others say doing good for other people keeps them grounded, but in all those cases, you choose to have faith in that structure, whether you know it or not. Let me explain, if I put all my trust and faith in family, and they let me down, then I no longer have anything to live for. If I lose my job and that’s what gave me purpose, then there’s no reason to keep fighting to live this life. If when I do good, and no one appreciates it or needs my help, then all MY reasons for living have been shut down by things that can change with circumstances. And if what I put my trust in can change, then I will never find stability in this life and won’t be anchored to anything.

However, the word tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), which means his character never changes and he always has our best interest in mind. So when this world is hectic, and all the things we rely on fail us, he tells us to come. He doesn’t say come perfect; he doesn’t say come performing; he doesn’t even say come happy; he says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) which means he is telling you to come as you are: disappointed, unsure, broken, weary, alone, misunderstood, COME! Imperfect, beaten down, and alone COME! You don’t have to pretend to be okay when you decide to come; he will then give you rest for your weary soul. 

He then says, ”Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29). What we don’t understand is that anything that has a hold on us we’re yoked to it, which means it has control over us even though we think we’re in control. So the devil’s plan is to keep us tied to things that just drain us and pull us deeper into darkness. But Jesus says, “Take my yoke.” Which means it is your choice whether you want to be led by him or not; he won’t force you. If we are then tied to Jesus and connected to him, he will teach and guide us onto the right path because he is light and he is love. We must choose who will lead us; why not be led by the one who wants to give us rest?  There will always be a demand on us, but the demands the world puts on us are heavy and unbearable; Jesus’s burden is light. He calls for us to live life righteously, but he doesn’t expect us to just figure it out alone. He gave us the word to teach us, and he helps us change over time as we apply it; we don’t have to do it alone or quickly. 

So the first thing you are encouraged to do is COME. Come as you are, come with your questions, come weary because Jesus is a safe place, and he will lead and guide you in this season of your life. You just have to choose to come to him; no one can force you – he doesn’t even force you. And you will begin to see a gradual change in yourself and the way you believe.

Prayer

Lord, you are good even when everything tries to say you are not. We can follow your lead because your word says you are the same forever, which means your love for us will never change! Because of that, we can be confident to come as we are, broken and unsure, knowing that you will have our best interests at heart. So today, touch the reader, give them a better understanding of your love. Show them that their weakness is an opportunity to show your strength. Cover them, Lord, and keep them safe! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Questions to ask yourself this week

(Grab a notebook and dedicate it to these weekly devotions, and comment below if you like)

1. What is/are the things that have been making me weary? What’s been challenging me to keep my peace?
2. What are the ways that I choose to cope that are not helpful to my growth?
3. If I evaluate my life today, what do I truly put my trust in (myself, job, relationship, gifts, social media, etc.), and why does that give me comfort?
4. What’s stopping me from trusting, or truly trusting, Jesus as my source? (Be honest)
5. He is telling me to come as I am, with my doubts, fears, questions, and unbelief. Will today be the day that I decide to come so that I can find rest? Why or why not?

Come back next Sunday for the new weekly devotion! Please like this post if you were encouraged. See you next week!