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A Prescription for the Weary

"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 soul."  Matthew 11:28-29
 
I don't think there is anything heavier or more awkward to move from one place to another than a piano.  If you have ever witnessed or taken part in the moving of a piano, you know exactly what I am talking about.  You would think that a piano was filled with a ton of lead if you ever tried to pick one up!
 
I just witnessed the moving of a piano the other day.  As I watched my husband, his friend, and his father struggle with the grueling task of lifting the piano up a set of stairs, I was reminded of all of the people I come in contact with on a daily basis that are trudging through life carrying various heavy burdens along the way. 
 
Our society is so emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted.  There is a world of weary people (Christian and non-Christian alike) who need exactly what Jesus prescribed in Matthew chapter eleven, they need rest for their souls. 
 
In Eugene Peterson's interpretation The Message, he phrases verse 28 like this:
 
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest."
 
He very plainly shows us that the prescription for coming out from under the weight of our burdens is spending some one on one time with the One and Only -- Jesus! 
 
There are so many examples in the Bible where Jesus ministered to the weary and burdened people that He came in contact with.  He lifted the burdens of countless individuals who were weary from blindness, lameness, sadness, demon possession, blood disorders, sick or dying family members and ultimately, all those who were suffering from the sickness of sin.  If He lifted their burdens, He's willing and able to lift mine and yours.
 
What heavy burdens are you carrying around today?
  • Are you grieving over the soul of a lost loved one?
  • Are you weary from a broken relationship?
  • Are you discouraged about your health or the health of someone you love?
  • Are you carrying around the guilt of past sins?
  • Are you just plain tired from the busy-ness of life?
We have a promise in this verse that if we come to Him, He will give us rest.  If He is capable of carrying the weight of a cross and all of the sins of the world on His shoulders, He is more than capable of carrying you and I. 

I need rest for my soul today.  Do you?

I'm going to claim this promise.  Will you?


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