May 10
“Come to Me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls; for My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
There are some trials and difficulties that are relatively easy to give to the Lord, and there are others that seem like they will never leave. Have you ever felt like you are in prison with your weaknesses and difficulties? Have you ever felt surrounded by oppression and being weighed down with your own sins and the sins of others? Have you ever felt like you were in a no-win, hopeless situation with no good path forward available to you? Have you ever felt like you have prayed and prayed about something, perhaps for years, and the answer seems as far or further away from you as it ever has?
On the other side of the coin, have you ever felt confident that you knew exactly what needs to be done, and you can’t understand why other people aren’t as motivated and clear-sighted as you? Why isn’t everyone agreeing with me and realizing the obvious benefits of my recommendations? Why won’t they get on board? Why are they being impediments, slowing down progress? Why do they make me so angry and seem to know how to push my buttons?
What about the times we feel completely unable to do anything, lacking strength and motivation perhaps to even get out of bed, to face the day? Have you ever felt totally inadequate for the task at hand, dreading the outcome and wondering how you will ever get through it all? Have you ever wondered how you could have been so stupid or foolish to have gotten yourself into such a mess, not seeing any clear path to get out of it?
How about times of anxiety, when you just feel this nagging panic, unsettled feeling, or even weight or pain in your chest when you think about all the things that are wrong or could go wrong? Have you ever fretted or worried about something to the point of being upset or angry toward others over it? Our worry can cause us to sin, as is indicated by the verse, “Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.” (Psalm 37:8) We know full well that the Lord told us not to be anxious, as did Paul, but we do it anyway, and some of us spend a lot of time worrying and fretting about things and are not even aware of it.
In all of these situations, we desperately need the Lord. We desperately need Him to simply pick us up and carry us. We need Him to intervene quickly and powerfully. We need a miracle. We need a new perspective and a changed heart. And perhaps most of all we need greater faith so that we can trust Him enough to carry our burdens so that they don’t crush us.
Jesus promises us that His load is light. Following Him and obeying His voice does not add to our burdens but lightens them. Trusting in the Lord, waiting on Him, boasting in Him, these are all things that are essential for our daily walk but may take a lifetime to learn. Let’s all ask God to give us the ability to rest in Him and wait patiently for Him each and every day!