Come to me, all 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

Rest for the weary comes at last.

There is rest for the weary. God says,”and I will give you rest.” This gives us hope and peace in God.

Do you ever watch someone at rest, asleep, snoozing—a baby, a child, a mate? Your heart is moved as you watch them. You identify with your caring for that person. It is calm and peaceful. Real rest is that way. It is without concern or worry.

God wants us to find our rest in Him, not in circumstances, not in temporary fixes, not in things, not in money, not in fame, not in pursuits, and not in people. At times we get on a treadmill of busyness rather than finding our rest in Him. A person may never find their rest in Him, and they wonder what it means. Rest, in this context, seems to indicate a giving up, a laying down of self and wants. It is a form of peace.

But it can elude us. Some in the Christian community give up trying to find God. They find substitutes. Some get enmeshed in addictive alternatives as a way to remediate the inner emptiness rather than finding the solution in God. Again, they may not think this is possible and maybe they just don’t know how. It is elusive or not on the radar.

I assume this is common to experience. We find that discouragement or depression looks for something else to make us feel better. This is the path of least resistance, the natural, untreated path that self-medicates. And, spiritual rest is not found in friendships no matter how fulfilling and strong they may be. God is the giver of rest. He gives it to those who seek it. It is like a formula.

SPIRITUAL FORMULA: 

God + me + seeking God + spiritual growth + trust + trust + trust = spiritual rest

Spiritual rest is cultivated. It is also a result of the spirit’s peaceful state. True nurturing rest is found in God and God alone.

God is a God of tranquility and peace. He offers us soul-rest. It is a supernatural rest only found in God’s presence after His ministering grace has touched the inner places. This type of rest is in answer to the weariness of our souls, our burdens, and our hearts.

The more we seek God the more we will experience and access a state of true restfulness. It is a form of trust mixed with love that has found itself joined in a trusting relationship with its Father. It is contentment and godliness mixed together. Once you know this centered rest in the divine, life takes on a new dimension, a spiritually alive direction, a greater sense of being centered in harmony with God.

The “rest” is connected to its Source, and that source is God and His presence in you and with you. You have opened the door to your heart all the way, and He has flooded its interior, entered every room and taken up residence. You no longer withhold or erect barriers in the relationship. You have entered into full fellowship and friendship with God with each member of the God-Head, in caring connection with you and your soul.

This is God’s loving intention for us.

So soothing is rest. We all need it. The rest God gives is a deeper satisfaction. It is an absence of labor and contains a presence of peace. One cultivates it into their life by keeping a close connection to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What is the purpose of a “yoke”? The answer is coming in the next post.

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©N. L. Brumbaugh

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