February 3, 2018 COME TO ME
Matthew 11:28-30: “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 shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”
This is the invitation of all invitations! We can observe the day in which we live and conclude that we indeed live if difficult times to say the least. But, evidently, throughout world history, man has experienced what it means to be weary and heavy-laden. Just as at any time in the past, this verse stands out as though it was a neon sign in a dark place, inviting those who were weary and heavy-laden to a place of rest. It is amazing that God invites us to come to Him! And even more amazing is that God tells us that He is “gentle and humble in heart.” The creator God, the all-powerful, the all-knowing, the omnipresent, the omniscient God is gentle and humble in heart! And, God does not give us a list of things we must do, sets no conditions, and makes no demands of us before we come to Him. He simply invites us to come. Perhaps our pride would be better served if He did give us a list of things to do before we go to Him. When He says ‘come to Me’, He is being gracious, and by acting on His invitation, we are being humble. True, we do not deserve, nor have we earned the right to go into the presence of God, but nonetheless, He invites us to come to Him-just as we are. He invites us not only to come, but to learn of Him and to take His yoke upon us. We think of a yoke in a negative light, but to take on, or receive the yoke of God, is the best thing that could happen to us. Taking on His yoke is a picture of getting under Him and His rule, abiding in Him, walking according to His ways, and resting in Him. If we have any doubt about His yoke, He plainly tells us that His yoke is easy, and His load is light-how could it be any better. By not taking on His yoke, we will take on another yoke-the yoke of walking according to our own ways and to the ways of the world-and that yoke will not be easy, and it will be heavy-I promise! If we are weary and heavy-laden, then the call to us is to set aside our pride, our distractions, or anything that would cause us not to take Him up on His invitation to “Come to Me.” In this age of technology, and this age of strife and brokenness on every hand, let us hear, and let us act on the greatest invitation of all times-that of going to Him, and learning of Him. He has opened the door, now let us enter in and find the rest that only He can give.
Psalm 116:7 “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”
Psalm 23:2-3 “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quite waters. He restores my soul, He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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