Devotion 2: Free To Rest
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
When Jesus says, “All who labor and are heavy laden,” He is speaking to the sinner. He is speaking to the people who for so long had been taught that salvation had to come from their own works. But here, Jesus is correcting that. He reminds us that we do not have to work to receive the salvation we so desperately need, because He is the source of that salvation. Looking back at my life, I can attest to the fact that it was never the work or the hours that I put in that made me “deserve” salvation. It was always only Him and I can rest in that.
Finding rest in knowing that I don't have to work for my salvation is very freeing, but there's another side of this passage too. See, in our world today, society tells us that a busy culture is a productive culture. Employers will give out a certain amount of vacation days, and those vacation days better be spent resting and doing things like traveling to get your mind off the everyday. Even weekends are spent on spa days, naps, or “me time.” All of these sources of “rest,” apart from Jesus, will never give you the rest you truly need. We also need to take the example of God resting on the seventh day in the creation story, but never forget that Jesus says, “Come to me… I will give you rest.” When life is spent living away from Jesus, you won't experience the rest you need to deal with the hard things you will face. This is a truth that I have had to face as well.
Jesus can bring us through any storm of life, no matter what it is, Jesus is the way through those storms. For example, in Mark 4:35, Jesus is sleeping on a boat while the disciples are freaking out about a storm. Water is getting into their boat and the disciples are asking Jesus if He even cares that they might die. Jesus wakes up and all He has to say is, “Peace! Be still!” and the sea calmed (Mark 4:39). Our Savior is so powerful, that by His voice the wind and seas obey Him. We can also find hope in John 16:33 as it reads, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." Jesus has already won the battle! Why do I need to spend another minute worrying about my life when I know the all-powerful Jesus, my Savior, has already overcome my battles? We can find rest in Him.
So, let's take a step back and think about all of this. Yes, we are all sinners, and there is nothing we can do to take that sin away. There is no job, no task, no work that can make you deserve salvation. It is only through Jesus and Him alone! Jesus has so freely given us salvation through His sacrifice and offers us rest when we walk with Him. He has the power, strength, and guidance to overcome any battle, for He has already overcome the world!
Have you stopped and rested in the Lord lately? If not, why is that? Identify what might be taking that time away from you. Take time and read His good Word and spend time in prayer today. If you feel unrested, take heart! Jesus will give you rest. All you have to do is go to Him.