Heavy-laden & Rest

"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 will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

If we recall back to the time when we first recognized the Lord's Spirit striving with our spirit. We remember the agony of heart and mind we felt as the Spirit of the Lord gently called our hearts while our will was afraid and fought for mastery. And then in a moment we yielded and came forward or knelt or while seated we surrendered our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. Remember, those moments... remember your first love? (Revelation 2:4)

Over time what happened? "The worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter[ed] in and chock the word" (Mark 4:19). Now we find a part of ourselves, if we are honest, "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17).

Have you ever "examined yourself" honestly and knew in the gut of your stomach that something was wrong or in the back of your mind there's a quiet voice wanting you to forgive, to 'let go' or to more forward?

This is the love of Jesus, your Savior who is calling you to give to him what troubles you. To open your hands, your heart, and let go through faith - the pain of the past, your mistakes of the past, and those who have wronged you. He's whispering, give me your heart (Proverbs 23:26) - 'give me today' and 'give me your tomorrows' and rest peacefully in me.

Jesus is saying... I've got this and... I've got your back. He's gentle and a gentleman and he will not force your heart - our hearts must come to him willingly. And that can be difficult because we don't like to expose our weaknesses and we can shame ourselves for bringing to the Lord our burdens. But those very burdens and our willingness to come to the Lord with the small things--with all things is part of the relationship that He desires of us. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:29).