Have you
ever been so burdened by something that your heart literally feels heavy? A
time when you felt like you were carrying the proverbial “weight of the world
on your shoulders”? Do you often feel overwhelmed by life’s circumstances?
Note that
each of these scenarios involves how we “feel.” Feelings can cloud the truth,
if we’re not careful. We have to make a conscious effort to focus on what is
true and real: “Whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if
there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Phil. 4:8)
The reality
is that God has promised to carry our burdens for us. He desires to give us
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)
I recently quoted those verses in another
blog about resting. It seems that I needed to write a sequel, as I’m still
contemplating the key to finding true rest. Surely God understands our frailty,
as our heart cries out with the Psalmist: “Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me
from my anguish.” (Psalm 25:16-17)
It is His rest that we seek. “For the one
who has entered HIS REST has himself also rested from his works, as God did
from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no will
fall, through following the same example of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:10-11 True
rest is found by trusting in the finished work of Christ…resting from our
“works.” This rest is not dependent on our feelings, but on the truth of The
Gospel:
“God saved you by His grace when you
believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation
is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about
it.” Ephesians 2:8-9
And verse 10 takes it a step further: “For
we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do
the good things He planned for us long ago.”
Perhaps I am a step closer to understanding
the rest God intends for us. HIS REST doesn’t come from striving, but from
trusting that He will bring about His purpose in our lives as we rest in Him. I
don’t know about you, but that causes me to breathe a sigh of relief.
