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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
For Those Soul Weary Days
There are days that weigh heavy on your soul.
The alarm clock buzzes you awake like lightning bolts jolting your ears. And the rush of already late floods your soul before you’ve even begun. Your life has gone on without you again and you’re always running out of breath. Lagging behind, trying harder to keep up.
There are days when swinging your legs over the side of your bed and standing on two feet leave you feeling crooked, as though your whole day was born slanted and you’re slipping downhill a bit more, limping towards coffee and to-do lists and the tiniest faded hope that today you will do it. Today you won’t carry the unbearable sadness that seeps into the murky rising light of morning.
Today you won’t ache with the unfulfilled things. The barren soul of the never enough. Today you won’t be so desperately weary.
We have all felt it at different times and for different reasons.
Sometimes we can prattle off a list of the why’s, but more often than not, weariness seeps into our days, layering itself and settling like fog on every surface of our lives, making it hard to see the hope we have been promised.
More often than not, our burdens are not so simply diagnosed. They can’t be lifted by pithy sayings and motivational quotes. They remain untouched by trying harder and positive thinking. Our burdens are complicated but the answer is simple. Often too simple for our taste. We want solutions and plans, flow charts, and ten-step programs. We want to know what we can do to solve the problem of our burdens but the promise is not what we can do but who we can know.
Come to me.
The solution to weariness is Jesus. He simply offers himself as our antidote to despair and weariness.
I will give you rest.
He promises He is the answer to the burdened soul. He is the rest we seek. He is the promise of hope and the breath in our lungs to face another day.
So if we are to find rest, why do we need to take up a yoke? Isn’t that work? Isn’t that laborious?
When we look closer, we see that the work God has called us to do is to abide. Our rest, our joy, our hope, and our strength all come from abiding in Christ. He takes our yoke of sin and death, striving and weariness and offers rest for our souls.
Come to me. I will give you rest, He promises.
So if you are weary, Jesus’ invitation is to come. Abide. And you will find rest for your soul.
If you’re feeling burdened and weary, will you believe that Jesus is enough?
That He is the rest you seek and the hope you have?
Summer Rae says
Dearest Miss Alia,
As I stood over the kitchen sink tonight (or technically 2:30am) I found myself reciting this and a couple of other verses to myself… and then I happen across your loved filled encouraging words. I could write I novel here in the comments about God’s love, amazing grace and timing… but, really it can be summed up into two words: thank you. Your words always touch my heart; as I am sure they do many others. I pray you and your family have a blessed day Miss Alia.
This side of Heaven,
Summer Rae
Michele Morin says
Thanks for sending an old hymn singing its way through my tired brain this morning:
“Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art.
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.”
I guess that’s our goal on this planet: discovering the greatness of His love as we rest in Him.
Blessings to you, Alia.
Concerned Teacher says
I’ve never been clinically depressed, but I have students who have…who are. If any of you ladies reading this today are led by the Holy Spirit to pray for “A”, please do. She is weary of battling, of adjusting med’s so that she can think like herself to work through the issues that hold her mind captive. She knows Jesus, knows He is enough, knows to come to Him, but the battle is so very real. Our God is MORE real, and He lets us help fight for those too weak and weary, “beaing one another’s burdens”…. THANK YOU for loving this girl you’ve never met enough to lift a shield of prayer around her!
Anna Smit says
Dear Concerned Teacher,
I am praying. I have been in such a place myself: diagnosed with PTSD constantly battling the thoughts and emotions calling me to die. The Lord brought me John 6:35 – 40 MSG when I cried out one night desperate- told Him to give me one reason to keep living. The one part of that verse that He keeps bringing back to me is: “And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go.” The thoughts and emotions only got worse and more frequent after that night, but my guilt and shame was stripped: who was responsible for hanging on- NOT me: my God promised me HE was holding onto me and always had been and always would. I am praying for God to engrave that truth on her heart. HE is holding her, no matter what she feels or thinks.
Concerned Teacher says
Thank you, Anna! I will pray this for her as well…and pass it on to her!
Blessings back to you!
Beth Williams says
Concerned Teacher,
Praying for A. I pray God will heal her with the right meds soon. Help her to hold on to Jesus. May peace enter this young one’s life mind, body & soul.
(((((Hugs)))))
Concerned Teacher says
Thank you, Beth! Amen to your prayer!! He is able!!
Blessings back to you!
Jessica says
Please tell”A” that she is not alone, I’m going through battles too, and sometimes I just feel so down and like it will never end, I know that God has a great plan for my life and that there is purpose to what I am going through but sometimes it’s hard to remember what’s true.
I am and will pray for her.
Concerned Teacher says
Thank you, Jessica! I pray now in Jesus’ Name that you also are aware of how He carries you through the “dark night of the soul” – never abandoning you! …I’ve pretty much given up praying for a way around life; we just have to go THROUGH it. Hallelujah, we don’t go alone!! Thank you for praying for A! Truth really does set us free…yet I’m always amazed as I experience His word – in this case bearing one another’s burdens. It helps lighten our own load too!
Blessings beyond imagination!
Melissa says
Thank you so much for this little encouragement. I really needed it today. I have a long shift at work as well as a lot of stuff to do when I get there. You helped me see that I know that I can rely on Christ to help me get most of it done. That is if I focus on Him, and not my “to- do” list at work. Thanks again
Humble Faith Family Wellness says
What a beautiful reminder on a Sunday day of rest. To use the day to lean into Him. To let go of the lingering burdens of the week past and to be filled in Him for the week to come. Thank you for the reminder. Many blessing to you and your family on this day of rest. I pray that you are filled with rest in whatever areas are burdening your heart so that you are able to continue to lead others to Him through your words.
Dana Butler says
I’d literally just worked up and told the Lord that I am SO tired, and my heart is SO heavy. Needed this badly. Thank you, friend. I love you ❤️❤️
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Dana,
Praying that you can find rest , comfort, and love in the Lord’s arms today!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Dana Butler says
That would be WOKEN up 🙂
Nancy T. says
This is such a perfect message to all of us after the huge Equifax breach of 40% of American people’s personal sensitive information. Our true identity is in Jesus Christ and no thieves can steal our identity in Jesus!
Beth says
Yes — Love this! <3
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Alia,
One of my very favorite words is “abide”. When I abide in Christ, I can cease “doing” and just “be” in His presence. I can lean into Him and find rest in Him . I envision myself as the tiny helpless lamb, who is weary and worn, being held close to His beating heart of love for me while being held in is strong and capable arms. This is where I run when I’m weary. Abiding is waiting on Him to see what He is about to perform. If I have any strength for the day, it’s His strength coursing through my veins because I am attached to the vine. Learning to listen to His gentle invitation to “Come”, “Rest”, and “Abide” in Him. This is where my rest and restoration is found. Beautiful post.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Lynne says
The timing of this is so perfect. I am thankful for Gos’s faithfulness. I am in a stressful season at work and brought a lot of stuff home this weekend to try and catch up. Last night I could feel my anxiety creeping in. I got some stuff done, but I am still so far behind. But I felt challenged by God to put my work away and rest in Him this Sabbath day. My anxiety is not completely gone, but I find peace in knowing God will provide a way to accomplish HIS plans for me each day and I can rest in knowing that today. Wishing everyone a day of resting in God.
Anna Brown says
Thank you.
Anna Smit says
Alia, this was such a blessing today. I visited a new church for the first time today. It took a lot of courage to go and I was overwhelmed by the Presence of God in worship and the sermon: the Word and songs mirrored so much God had already been speaking to my heart. But then I went to the new people’s desk and in being invited to share about why I had come to their church I could tell by her body language that my enthusiasm was too much- suddenly the lady cut our conversation off and I was left again feeling like I don’t belong- that I’m too intense and that my past makes me unacceptable (I’m a returned Prodigal). Your post reminded me to look not at myself or at others, but back at God: to drop the weight of my own insecurity and put on the yoke of God’s security. And to look for His Presence-
which was so palpable this morning. Thank you so much. I’ll be going back to the church home God has SO clearly led me to.
Beth Williams says
Alia,
I’m doing a Bible study “Breathe”. It is about Sabbath Rest. The kind of rest that abiding gives us. Only when we abide in & lay our burdens at His feet can we find true rest, joy & peace. We have such busy schedules these days & it seems that we strive to do it all-when He simply tells us to come to Him & He will give us the true rest our souls need.
Blessings 🙂
Mary Hood says
Thank you. Sometimes I feel all alone being so weary when I am thinking I shouldn’t be. There is so much going on in our personal lives, not to mention globally that weigh on our souls, it actually does make sense that we can’t hold up. And we don’t have to go it alone. Jesus is here that we might come. Right timing this morning for me.
MaryMargaret says
I really needed that, I have been struggling for a very long time to trust God, and I keep failing. I will go to Him for rest, today.
Also, please keep Florida and Alabama in everyone’s prayers. We are supposed to be hit later today by a very big hurricane. Where I live, we are supposed to be hit very bad. Many have said that it will be pretty scary with all of the wind.
Please pray protection over my family and I.
Thank you!!
Penny says
Mary Margaret,
I’m sending you all prayers from Canada that you safely weather this storm….
Blessings to all,
Penny
MaryMargaret says
Thank you so much! It’s cool to have someone praying all the way from Canada for us down here in Florida!
MaryMargaret says
Thank you for the prayers, the storm down here in Florida was much less than expected where we are!!!
-Marymargaret
Penny says
Alia Joy,
Thank-you for sharing your post this morning. Prayers that everyone has a blessed day.
Penny
Rebecca L Jones says
Alia, you are such a great writer. That is why you have been under such attack. Your message will bless so many. You are right, the get over it, not enough faith, why me, just doesn’t work. It’s so much more than positive thinking. There is no other answer than Jesus. A yoke may look heavy, but it’s easy and light with Jesus, He guides every turn, and let’s you rest. The devil will beat the proverbial dead horse even more. If you are familiar with Bonnie Gray, she is doing some good work also, you may want to check out her FB page. Blessings, hope you are safe, praying the wildfires and bad weather leave quickly.
Beth says
And all God’s people said, “AMEN”! Thanks so much for this, Alia.
Joanne Peterson says
Alia Joy, just simply “YES”. Much needed reminder……Blessings, Joanne
Cammie says
This is so perfect for me right now, and I think for all of us. I’m full of worry and anxious thoughts, thank you for the beautiful reminder to abide in the Lord, to rest in His promises and His love.
Dorina says
I love this post. God has been teaching me so much about rest this past year. I love Alia’s insight here: “Our burdens are complicated but the answer is simple. Often too simple for our taste. We want solutions and plans, flow charts, and ten-step programs. We want to know what we can do to solve the problem of our burdens but the promise is not what we can do but who we can know.”