Who Needs Some Rest?

Have you been going through a tough time lately? Maybe you’re going through some big changes in your life, you or your family have been sick, you have relationship struggles, there’s too much month at the end of the money, you’re struggling with anxiety, you can’t find the bottom of your clean clothes laundry basket (I always have to throw that in somewhere because personally very real), or maybe you’re just plain worn out all the time. Can you relate to any of these circumstances?

I was reading in Matthew 11 the other day and came across a passage I’ve read over before, but this time, I camped out around the words for a while. I was so intrigued by the message as it came to life in such a personal way. I love how God takes a passage we’re familiar with and brings it to life with such relevance and hope. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Umm… yes, please! Rest!!!!

Any of you weary and burdened right now? Have you gone to Him for rest? Please know that when I write, it comes from a personal place. I’m not sharing this with you because I’ve mastered this concept. I’m sharing because the passage hit a place of need for me and I write to share what God has shown me in case it hits a need for you as well.

When I think about the rest we can find in the Lord, my mind goes to the 23rd Psalm. “The Lord is my shepherd, I LACK NOTHING. He makes me LIE DOWN in green pastures, He leads me beside QUIET WATERS, he REFRESHES MY SOUL. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will FEAR NO EVIL, for you are WITH ME; your rod and your staff, they COMFORT ME.” Psalm 23:1-4 (emphasis mine). Friends, that’s the metaphoric picture of rest! Could you visualize it as you read it? I see a big open field, a blue sky, and a quiet brook. I imagine relief, and relaxation, and peace. Too many times, I let it all build up. I carry the stress, the worry, and the burdens because I’m trying to navigate all them on my own.

In the next verse in Matthew 11, Jesus continued, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Before I go any further, the word nerd in me needs to explore this idea of a yoke a little further. A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that was placed over the necks of animals. It drew them together so they would be able to use their strength as a team to pull a load together.

By Pearson Scott Foresman

Yoke is used metaphorically throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, authors wrote about a heavy yoke, meaning a lot of stress and turmoil. In the New Testament, it refers to Jesus' yoke being easy. The word yoke is also used as a verb to say we should be yoked to Jesus. I read an article on Christianity.com that said everyone is yoked, or connected, to something. To be yoked to Jesus means to serve and obey him.

So in Matthew 11, Jesus is telling us to connect with Him by taking His yoke and learning from Him (time in His word and prayer). He then shared that He is gentle and humble in heart. How many of us are primarily yoked to someone or something that is not gentle or humble in heart. This is not an attack on our spouses. Nope- not goin’ there! But some of us are yoked to social media, or our jobs, or an idea we’re chasing after. Those things don’t tend to be gentle. Jesus went on to promise rest for our souls along with a follow-up: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I’m going to be honest with you. I started this blog post about two weeks ago. I wrote about half of it with intentions of finishing the next day. But the next day was full of unexpected sadness. Four people in my life were affected by the passing of someone they knew or were very close to. Four! In one day! My yoke was very heavy. I thought of this passage. At the time, I didn’t know what to do for each of them besides ask The Lord to overwhelm them with His presence, peace, and comfort. I wanted them to yoke themselves with Him like never before so they could experience rest.

On Thursday of this last week, I experienced another heavy day as what I called “bombs” kept getting dropped one after another… four in total. Each one came in the form of new information that wasn’t good news. I would feel myself getting stressed and anxious, and then I would remember that God called me to where I am and He would equip me to see things through. Each time another "bomb" was dropped, my first response in my head took me to freak out mode. But it was always followed by the Holy Spirit giving me peace and comfort that it would all work out and God would never leave me.

Some of us need to trade in our yokes. Do you need a new model? Is your current model unbearable, choking you, too much to handle, stiff, taking you in the wrong direction? The 2022 Jesus Yoke model comes equipped with peace, assurance, freedom, security, unexplainable joy, comfort, rest, and so much more. The owner's manual doesn’t promise the absence of trouble, but it does come with unfailing troubleshooting. In John 16:33, Jesus told His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Maybe it was by divine design that I didn’t finish this two weeks ago, because a lot has happened in those two weeks that has forced me to apply Jesus’ message. I also heard a song this week that relates perfectly to this topic. It’s called “Look at You” by Cecily. The lyrics are too good not to share:

Just when I thought I had it figured out on my own

I recognize my leading pride led me wrong

And all the work I'd done until now had almost gone

Down the drain

Then You came in and rescued me once again

And You reminded me

How Your love is everything, everything, all I need

And all the clarity

Comes rushing in, settling deep within my veins

Then when I look at You

Everything starts slowing down again

When I look at You

The world becomes a memory that I once knew

It's so simple

When I lock еyes, with You

*Click here to listen to the rest of the song.

Dear busy, overwhelmed, overworked, exhausted Friends- take heart, take the yoke, and experience true, divine, supernatural peace and rest. The moment you feel the weight of your burdens, the sadness of circumstances, or the anxiety of daily life, go to the Father in prayer. Make sure you’re yoked to Him, bury yourself in His Word (Psalm is my favorite when I’m in the middle of trials) and lie down in His green pastures beside quiet waters (and help remind me to do the same 😉). His yoke will never fail us.