“Come to Me, all you who are weary  and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 NIV 

The holiday season brightens our days with so much fun: cookie baking, attending Christmas pageants and plays, and enjoying festive get-togethers. But it also wears us out! All the shopping, planning, gift-wrapping, and so many other things take up our time as we try to juggle tasks at home and at work. We have so much on our minds and so many details to keep track of.

With everything going on, we would probably agree that weary is a word that truly describes how we feel. And we realize that we really need rest — we need to slow down and have moments of calm and quiet to soothe and restore our souls. We can only find this kind of deep rest through Jesus: “Come to Me, all you who are weary.  .  . 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 NIV).  

Rest for our souls, or soul rest, is exactly the kind of rest we need — the kind that restores not only our bodies, but our minds, our hearts, and our spirits. To receive it, Jesus tells us to come to Him and learn from Him. We see many times in the Bible how He went away from the crowds that surrounded Him to a place of quiet — where He found rest and spent time in prayer with His Father:

“After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Well into the night, He was there alone” (Matthew 14:23 CSB). And Luke 5:16 (The Message) tells us, “As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.” These times of prayer and quiet with God restored Him, and they can restore us too. Following the example of Jesus, we can experience true rest for our souls as we get away to a quiet place to spend time with God, praying, reading the Bible, meditating on Scripture, and spending time being “still” and listening to His voice.  

Throughout our hectic season, let’s find true, deep soul rest in Jesus. Let’s take a few moments to withdraw from the busyness in our days and spend quiet time with our loving Father. He knows our needs, cares, and all the things that overwhelm us, and there’s no load we carry that is too heavy for Him to lighten for us. Let’s come to Him to rest in His love, be filled with His peace, and be restored by His grace.  

Cranberry Quick Bread might be just what you’re needing for an easy winter breakfast! As it bakes, take time to pray, relax, and soak up some rest for your soul — from the generous supply that Jesus is always ready to provide.

Cranberry Quick Bread

You can use fresh or frozen cranberries in this loaf.

PREP: 15 MIN. | COOK: 45-50 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 65 MIN. | SERVINGS: 10

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 to 3 teaspoons orange extract
• 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, blend flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
3. In small bowl, mix the egg, orange juice, melted butter, and orange extract. Add to the dry ingredients in the large bowl, stirring just until moistened. Fold in the chopped cranberries and stir until evenly distributed in batter.
4. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Then slice and serve. You can also serve slices spread with softened butter or cream cheese.

The Simple Recipes for Busy Seasons Devotional Cookbook is designed for hectic moments, offering heartfelt devotions that encourage you to breathe, pause, and find peace in God’s presence. Each devotion comes alongside quick, wholesome recipes that bring your family together without adding to your stress. Find many more recipes and devotions like the one above in Simple Recipes for Busy Seasons — pick up your copy today!

Leave a Comment