Rest and Renew

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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 will find rest for your souls. -Matthew 11:28-29

Grace and peace, friends! I pray this finds you well.

Have you ever felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit that you just couldn’t shake? For a while now, I have felt the Spirit leading me into a quiet place for a season of listening, prayer, and reflection. So, as you read this, I am doing just that. I’m writing this devotional early and you should be receiving this around the time that I will be embarking on a week-long silent sabbatical. No phones, no technology, no speaking, just a few books, a Bible, and a pen and paper. I’ll be honest. I’m both anxious and expectant to see what the Lord has to say! (When you see me, be sure to ask me how this went:-)

In preparing for this time away, I have been thinking a lot about an invitation we get from Jesus.

In Matthew 11:28-29, there are two wonderful reminders we get from Jesus that speak to what He offers to weary souls in what can often be a fast-paced and overwhelming world.

One, rest is a divine invitation. Jesus begins with these words: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Note, this is not just a call to physical rest, but a deeper, spiritual rest. In our daily routines, it can be so easy to become weighed down by responsibilities, worries, and the demands of life. How beautiful to know that Jesus both understands our struggles and offers us a place of respite in His presence.

The older I get, the more I am coming to learn that taking time to rest is not a sign of weakness or lack of commitment. Just the opposite! It’s an acknowledgment that we need God’s strength to sustain us. How’s your soul, today? Weary? Set aside some time and take Jesus up on His offer. Simply, “be” in His presence.

Two, learning from Jesus brings renewal.

Jesus continues, “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.” It’s interesting to note that a yoke, in agricultural terms, is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart they are to pull. So, when Jesus invites us to take His yoke, He is offering us a partnership in which He bears the brunt of the burden and guides us with his gentle and humble heart.

How beautiful is that? Learning from Jesus means adopting His ways of humility, gentleness, and reliance on the Father. The more we walk alongside Jesus in our journeys, the more He transforms us, renews our minds and hearts, and the more it allows us to navigate life’s challenges with grace and wisdom. To walk with Jesus is to learn from Jesus, and the more we become like Jesus, the more His transformation brings a deep, abiding rest for our souls.

So, there’s the invitation.

I pray that you’ll find a little time to take Jesus up on the offer! Both you and your soul, will be glad you did!

See you soon, friends!

Mark