I crawled into bed and hid myself under the covers, aching for rest. A glance at the clock told me I should be doing anything but sleeping:
3:19 pm. Ugh.
Mid-afternoon on a Saturday. My neighbors mowed lawns, weeded gardens, cheered at baseball and soccer games. Me? I wanted to disappear. Sleep. Dream of a life other than the hard one I had.
The week before had taken all my strength. A double workload. Endless homework for the youngest children. Too many emails and phone calls from the school. Piles of laundry, dishes, and the never-ending challenge of buying and preparing food. Allergies, a stomach bug, a couple sleepless nights. Not to mention the tantrums, complaints, and bad attitudes — theirs and mine.
And to cap it all off, the babysitter that was supposed to bring the grown-ups a little relief decided to quit without notice.
Over email.
So, yes. I was in bed on a Saturday. And in spite of the 70-something degrees outside, I holed up underneath the covers and squeezed shut my tired eyes.
Jesus, help.
I waited for the sky to split and help to come. Nothing happened.
I couldn’t help but think this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Life seldom is, I know. But still, a part of me had hoped my dream of family, work, and faith would get easier somehow, filled with more easy than hard. But after forty-something years, my hope had dwindled.
Most days felt heavy. And on that Saturday afternoon, the weight of real life pressed down.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
It wasn’t an audible voice I heard. In fact, I hadn’t “heard” anything — at least not out loud. But somewhere in my memory the promise trickled in through my tears.
. . . And I will give you rest.
I sunk deep into the words, words that comforted as much as the down blanket covering me. I longed for rest, peace, a quiet place uninterrupted by the reality of everyday life. The remainder of Jesus’ words came to me then:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
That’s when I noticed the three directives that accompany God’s promise of rest:
Come.
Come, He says. This is His invitation. Rather than force our obedience, He opens His arms, creates a haven in His embrace, and then simply invites us in. To come near, lean in, and draw closer than close.
Take.
Take My yoke, He says. All the other attachments of this life are too heavy, too wounding, too oppressive. Instead, He invites you and me to attach ourselves to Him first and foremost, to bond to His life and heart, to live yoked to Him like two oxen who know the only way to plow a hard field is to do it together.
Learn.
Learn from Me, He says. Watch Me. Take notes. See how I lived and rested and served and loved. Notice how I leaned into the Father, how I trusted His presence and purpose even when it didn’t make sense, even when the day was heavy and hard.
Do you ever have days when you want to disappear under the covers? Does life ever feel far more difficult than you have strength to endure? Jesus understood. He knew it would be difficult, even unbearable at times. That’s why He promised Himself as the One to give you rest. It may not change the day’s tasks, but it will ensure you never have to tackle them alone.
Come, take, learn. He is with you in the moments when life is more beautiful — and harder — than you imagined.
Leave a Comment
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Michele,
I was reading in the Old Testament and God literally stuck some of the Israelites down for not observing the Sabbath. They had chosen to work instead. It struck me….this is how serious God is about rest. He formed us in His mind. He made us out of dust. He knows us better than anyone else and He KNOWS what we need and one of those things is rest. He commands us to rest because He knows this world and the toil it brings is hard. He knows we need rest for our bodies, minds, and souls. Come, take, learn. The invitation is ours. What will we do with it? Great reminder of how desperately we need His rest.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Marie S says
Bev,
I wanted to let you know I enjoy reading you replies as much as the devotional! Thanks.
Gail says
Me too!
Adrienne Maples says
Me too! I look for it every time. You have a beautiful gift.
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Thanks, Marie. I hope I add to and not detract from the post….I know we ALL could use a little encouragement! Thanks for encouraging me 🙂
Blessings,
Bev xx
Michele Cushatt says
Yes, so true. And it’s surprising how easily rest is the first thing we compromise when life gets busy, when it’s what we need more of.
Gail says
AmeN! Great article!
Michele Morin says
Thank you for the gift of those three action verbs, Michele!
I love the promise of God to meet us in our days of heavy and hard. And it seems to me that He is willing to come more than half way, matching our least effort with His great strength.
Thanks for sharing your story!
Michele Cushatt says
“…matching our least effort with his great strength.” YES!
Denise Pass says
Oh, Michelle, I felt peace as I read your words. I drank them in. Thank you for this post. God does have a rest that this world cannot give. So thankful for this truth and reminder!
Ada Joe says
« …Come, take, learn. He is with you in the moments when life is more beautiful — and harder — than you imagined… »
Thanks for sharing this Michele…
I am in a place where I have been forced to rest most of the week due to ill health yet in this place I lay I am struggling to do something as I can’t imagine myself laying down for days and not doing a things especially when I am supposed physically healthy and my ailment is relating to #mental #health precisely #depression and recently #anxiety #disorder… The more I struggle and try to do something the more tired I feel…
I have been reading the word, books, inspiration, motivation, listening to podcasts by Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen this past few days and a word God gave me a few years back when I was first diagnosed kept coming up – « Be still and know that I am God » Psalm 46:10a yet staying still seems like a mirage for me…
Today I was determined to iron and arrange my room that looks like a mess yet the only thing I have been able to do is to take a shower (which was a difficult task yesterday so should be thankful I know), cook something and finally eat a cooked meal after 2 days of black tea and biscuits and bread due to loss of appetite (Again that’s a big feat I achieved)….
Regardless of the above…I feel tired and lay here beating myself up for being unable to achieve any of my set objectives and failing to test either no acknowledge the much I have done ✅ and truly appreciate the opportunity to rest and take the grace and privilege to REST I have been given…
Your devotion and writing ✍ today to come, take and learn at the feet of the Master in order to find rest is timely…
REST I shall from now till He renews and strengthens me…Blessed by this…
Thank you and God bless you real good…x
Sadie says
Ada… praying for you and learning too to understand it myself.. I’m keeping my eyes on the cross and not on the storms… this too shall pass.. my go to psalm verse is 61:2&3. When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the ROCK that is higher than I. for you have been a SHELTER for me.. ((hugs))
Ada Joe says
Thanks Sadie…
Michele Cushatt says
Jesus, give my sister Ada the rest she so desperately needs, fill her soul with with the deepest peace.
Kathy W says
Have been in that difficult place myself. Found a wonderful therapist, who respected my Christian beliefs, and although the issues still crop up at times, I am much better able to deal with them and work through them. Has not made life easy, but more manageable. It is not a quick fix, but in my case was well worth it. Praying for you and inspired by your continued desire to get up and get moving even though it seems impossible.
Beth Williams says
Ada Joe,
Praying for you sweet sister. Don’t be to hard on yourself. Depression/anxiety are real disease. It affects people differently. For some people medicine helps a little. God is there with you daily. Take His yoke & rest my dear. Celebrate the little victories you have. God is pleased with us when we try & understands that we need rest.
Blessings 🙂
Carol Foose says
Thank you, Michelle that brings this scripture into perspective. God bless all who feel weary and heavy laden today.
Donna says
Michele, this is EXACTLY what I needed today. Working for a company that was bought out by one whose culture is so different has been a real struggle. Even after 5 years. And it is seeping into the rest of my life. It is time I come, take, and learn and stop the nonsense of thinking I can fix something totally out of my control.
Michele Cushatt says
Oh, wow. Yes, such wisdom in this, Donna. Although, I admit … I have made a lifetime of trying to fix things that are our of my control. Hahaha. It doesn’t work. 😉
Lara says
Michele, thank you for sharing this post with all of us. The Lord is so tender with us, beckoning us to come to Him and receive His rest. He knows so well what we all face each day, and He so lovingly invites us to rest in Him and to trust Him. What a beautiful reminder! Thanks so much, Michele!
Joy in Jesus,
Lara <
Michele Cushatt says
Thank you, Laura. I’m spending a lot of time these days trying to recognize and believe the tenderness of God.
Thalia in Jamaica says
Woke up late this morning and feeling the scramble of getitdonegetitdonefastermorenow. Not very different from my everyday but im really feeling it today. Smiling, being civil, shuffling along, but burning my candle at the middle, topside and underneath, not just the two ends. I need the rest Lord! Thank you for these women of God and in particular Michelle who felt inspired to write this particular message when I needed this message.
Kathleen says
Hello. I thoroughly enjoy reading your stories. And more to the point, I gain sooooooooooooo much from the story. The meaning, lesson behind it.
Thank you and please continue,
Kathleen,
Stephanie says
Thank you, Michele!
Honestly, it’s so good to hear about someone else feeling that way–knowing that there is so much to do, wanting to take care of it, but being so weighed down that you just can’t face it. At those times I’ve thought I need a bridge to get over there in the doing-mode. But Jesus says we need him–to rest in our need for rest–to admit it and go to him. Thank you.
Renae says
This was so profound and just what I needed today!
God is speaking to me through you my friend!
Instead of the 500 things I felt I needed to accomplish today, I’m going to do exactly as you wrote. I’m going to Come, Take, Learn, and rest.
Thank you for your post!!!!
Jennifer Frisbie says
This is beautiful, Michelle. I’m in such a demanding season of life right now and your description above sounds so familiar. I’ve never looked at these verses in the way you describe them, but I will now. Your post has been so incredibly timely.
Penny says
With life being unpredictable, we can not for see what’s to come, yet by learning to take the time to rest, is accepting a gift from God Himself. Always a comfort knowing He is with us ,but even closer at rest. Thank-you Michele for sharing your words that remind us of this.
Have a blessed day all,
Penny
Jenny says
Beautifully hard and oh so real. Thank you Michelle! IT is in the low points where we see His invitation to hand over the heavy lifting. Well said sister!
Brenda says
“Learn from Me.” Sweet reminder. — So often we hear that verse mentioned with the focus on “come” or “rest” or “light burden.” Most of the time, I think I’ve skipped right past the “learn” part. Thanks for pointing that out, Michele. Don’t ya just love it when you see something with fresh eyes? A little sparkle inside a verse you’ve quoted since childhood? The Word never ceases to meet us in its pages. — Thank you, Jesus for modeling rest so well for us. ♥
Sarah says
I needed this so much. These past few weeks I’ve been exhausted working 3 jobs, single, living on my own. Trying my hardest to keep it all together. I wanted nothing more than to retreat under the covers and be done with adulting and my never easy or go smoothly life. I’m tired, holding my head up is work. I can totally relate to this.
Honestly it made me feel better for a minute…. but then I wonder when will life not be so heavy??? When will I feel like I’m not doing everything alone???
I’ve almost lost all hope… where is He???
Maylee says
I understand you completely Michele. With all the busyness of this life and society telling us that if we are not exhausted, we are not doing it right. And that we should not think about resting especially mid afternoon. How dare we even think of such things. It is insane to see such a change in our society just within the last 30 years. I remember growing up, seeing my parents truly resting on the sofa watching The Golden Girls. Now it seems we have a million things to do and go to that we even don’t make the time to sit down for dinner. We are such an exhausted group of people who had forgotten this very saying, Come to me who are weary…. Let us learn to find rest, no matter what time of the day it is and don’t feel guilty about it. It is when we are refreshed, we can share the light of Jesus to others. Thank you for sharing this message…
Becky Keife says
The weight of real life pressed down. Yes, I can relate to that! Thanks so much for pointing us to the truth of God’s Word and the beauty of Christ’s example. I’m so thankful God doesn’t expect us to get over our weariness or solve our burdens before we come to Him. We get to come as we are, hard and hurting and all.
Such a joy to read your words here today, friend! xx
Beth Williams says
Michele,
In the Bible study “Breathe” Priscilla Shirer states that God designed the Sabbath for us. He freed us from the
shackles of sin to have us Rest in Him. He calls constant running around without remembering the Sabbath & resting a sin. This world calls for much busyness. It applauds those working long hours, running around always on the move. Taking a break or resting is seen as lazy. That is not what God wants for us. He wants us to take a Sabbath rest each week. Jesus was busy while on Earth, yet He still took time to rest. If Jesus needed to slip away & rest in God how much more do we? We should learn from Jesus. Do as He did & take His yoke & rest in Him. I say go ahead & take a Saturday or Sunday afternoon nap.
Blessings 🙂
Pearl Allard says
Michele, I was just in that place recently. My heart was so heavy I just wanted to stay in bed. My husband listened and held me, and in that moment his arms felt like God’s. Nothing changed. And yet His embrace strengthened me to get out of bed and face the world again. Thank you for Come, Take, and Learn. You are a blessing. Soldier on, sister!
Robin Dance says
Michele,
Reading your post I saw this passage in new light; rest requires action, something that on the surface sounds counterintuitive. Isn’t that the way of Christ? To speak simply but subversively? As I linger in your words and His, I realize by calling me to action in rest, I’m engaged, attached to Him. It seems obvious that this is the better way, but sometimes I make it so hard.
Wonderful encouragement, beautiful friend.