Weary = feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion.
Synonyms = exhausted, fatigued, spent, done in, fed up, worn-out
Excessive exertion = physical or mental effort that's beyond your current abilities.
Have you been weary by definition? Are you weary now? Heavy burdens will do that to you....do you carry one now?
I have - I've been more weary than a person should ever get....I was truly beyond my ability to keep going.
But God!
I have experienced this incredible promise a good many times in my life.
How incredible that God would carry our burdens (many times of our own making) and give us rest in return!
Let's marinate on every word of this passage.
Jesus said "come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens"
Friend - do you hear the invitation that Jesus is extending to you? Can't you just hear His kind and loving voice?
"I will give you rest."
The Promise! Jesus frees people from burdens. The rest that He promises is love, healing and peace with God, not the end of all labor. This is found in a relationship with Him - a relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.
"Take my yoke upon you."
When I was a kid this one baffled me, why would I want to put an egg yolk on my head? ha!
Yoke = a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of oxen (two), attached to something big and heavy that they pull......they share the work load evenly and are more productive.
You see, Jesus will walk beside us and help us pull that something big and heavy and because of Him, we won't even know it's big and heavy.
"Let me teach you,"
Jesus wants us to learn from Him. He will equip us, teach us and guide us to be effective in life and service IF we allow Him to. The greatest teacher in all the world wants to walk with us and teach us! I personally can't believe that Jesus wants to teach me - me - who am I that He would even be mindful of me, a total screw-up like me?! Praise Him for His grace and mercy and love that have been poured out all over my life!
Are you teachable?
"because I am humble and gentle at heart,"
Humble = not proud or haughty, arrogant or assertive - not thinking of yourself as better than others. Side note: This is my word this year, ouch.
Gentle = having or showing a mild, kind, tender temperament or character. Not harsh or severe.
Amazing qualities of a teacher wouldn't you say? - The Teacher that I long to be like more and more each day!
"and you will find rest for your souls."
The Promise! You WILL find rest! - If we come to Jesus and do things His way (take His yoke), in partnership and communication with Him, He promises that we will find rest. In the process we will become more like Jesus, humble and gentle at heart.
Isn't it true that we feel exhausted and weary because we try to do things, overcome circumstances on our own, in our own strength? - Is this because we don't want to be seen as weak or as dependent? Don't we want to appear like we can do anything on our own, that we have it all together? - Isn't that a big fat lie? None of us have it together, we are all weak and weary.
Are you thinking.....I want this rest, I want this relationship, I want to be teachable, but how? I can't just sit and talk to Jesus like I do my spouse or my bff - how can I walk this close to Jesus?
First - are you saved, is He Lord of your life, are you secure in your future with Him forever?
Then - spend time with Him, in prayer, in His Word, singing praise songs, giving thanks, serving. How can you be teachable and learn if you aren't spending time with the teacher?
God has ways of letting you know He is there and He hears you, He is amazing in His creativity and how He gets our attention.......you just have to look and listen.
Lord, please help us to be teachable, give us eyes to see and ears to hear You.
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