Rest for Your Soul
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
How would you define “rest for your soul?” Rest for your soul is something that is always present in our lives; we may experience some variance in our level of rest, but it should always be with us because God is always with us. Rest for the soul is primarily a state of mind, and for me it is a confident relaxing peace that rests in the hands of God.
How do we get the rest that Jesus promises? First I suggest if you want this rest, pray for it, because the Lord wants you live with rest for your soul. The verse says, “Take my yoke and learn from me.” The term implies we walk in his divine will, and he walks with us. Christ carries our loads as we trust him, giving him control, and walking as his servant. He guides us through the Spirit, helping us to make Godly wise choices, and we give him our best, leaving the results in his hands. This is freedom in Christ. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1) Can our souls be at rest if we are not free in Christ?
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. (Psalm 68:10) We pray, strive to walk in obedience, and leave everything in the Lord’s hands. After all he is God, and he knows us and our lives better than we do; we can never do better than to trust the Lord with our lives. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6) Nothing pleases God more than for us to trust him.
A life serving the Lord is a life of spiritual growth as he molds someone to have the mind, emotions, and heart of Jesus. Our minds and thoughts become the same as Christ’s, and we become one with Christ, just as Jesus and the Father became one. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9) As our relationships with the Lord are forever getting closer and more intimate, we find more rest for our souls. It is the Lord who pours his rest into our souls.
Today seek rest for your soul as you fully trust the Lord and his perfect love for you. He is more than capable, and desires to guide you, to be with you, and to take care of every situation in your life. Trust him with everything and walk in peace with his love, peace, confidence, and also with rest for your soul. Rest – don’t worry, because the Lord is always with you. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Let’s Pray: Lord thank you for being faithful with the promise of rest for my soul. Lord let others who are rushed and worried see the rest within me and know that it comes from you. Let others see the life to the full in me, and help them to know that only you can give life to the full, all fulfilling with nothing missing.. Thank you Lord! In Jesus name, Amen