“Then Jesus said, come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble (meek) and gentle (lowly) at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and My burden is light.”
Jesus – Matthew 11:28-30, NLT
WEARINESS is real. It is feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep. Have you ever been worn out, exhausted? Jesus exposed some of the reasons. We’re carrying burdens we weren’t meant to deal with alone. Sometimes weariness is a result of pride – an attempt to gain
satisfaction by striving for our own achievements or possessions. Our schedules are way too tight, and we leave no room for rest or the real remedy, time in God’s presence. We also become weary when we are not meek: quiet, gentle and submissive. Our internal and external atmospheres are too loud. We neither practice silence nor solitude, and we rebel against the LORD. Weariness comes from engaging in physical, mental, verbal, emotional and spiritual conflicts. We feel we must speak up and retaliate for every wrong. In our insecurities and fears of getting hurt, we fight, resist, take flight, repress feelings, or become hard, harsh or pressing in our demeanor. In all of these, we flee from the ways of the Master, and it literally wears us out. Jesus says, “Come to Me,” instead. Paul encouraged us, “And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Gal. 6:9) We grow tired while doing good things, helping others, and living the right way – particularly if we have not yet seen the reward of our service. He also instructed us to lay aside every weight and sin that so easily entangles and besets us, and run with patience the race set before us; looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross and despised its shame and now sits at God’s right hand. “Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:1-3) Contending with sin and grappling with the weights and distractions of life can slow us down. The weariness we feel in our bodies is really mental fatigue.
The good news is that by coming to God in repentance, times of refreshing will come from the presence of the LORD (Acts 3:19) In the presence of the LORD is the fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:9) That joy of the LORD is our strength for the journey, (Nehemiah
8:10) There is a rest that remains for the people of God. It is ceasing from our own striving/labors and trusting by faith that God has control of our lives and futures. (Heb 4:1-9) Charles Stanley said, “We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.” Come to Him today and be at rest. LIFT Service
TOMORROW NIGHT
7:00 PM
The Great Room Annex
Wyoming Presbyterian
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