Genesis 2:2-3 “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
God recognizes the importance of resting. The Bible reveals the concept of rest in Genesis, telling us how God rested after the creation. He confirmed this example for us to follow within the first few chapters of the Bible and we find that theme repeated throughout the entire book. But, God also described our need for spiritual rest as well as physical rest. Our souls, as well as our bodies, crave to be refreshed by the hand of our Savior.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
[bctt tweet=”Our souls, as well as our bodies, crave to be refreshed by the hand of our Savior.“]
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,” Matthew 11:28a mentions those who labor and those who are laden which refers to being physically tired and spiritually worn out. I think many of us know when we are bone weary but miss out on the need to rest our spirit. What are the signs that God is calling us to rest in Him? We can start by asking these questions:
- Is there joy in the serving?
- Does God feel close?
- Has life become a rut?
- Is negativity commonplace?
Experiencing any of these feelings might indicate a need to pull away from the world and find time to spend with Jesus and allow Him to refresh us.
Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
[bctt tweet=”I think many of us know when we are bone weary but miss out on the need to rest our spirit.“]
Take heart, Jesus tells us that we can find rest for our weary souls in Him. I took some time this past weekend to go away to the mountains to revive my soul. I reconnected with Jesus as I shut out the world in search of Him. I beheld God in the sunrise of a crisp, fall morning. God expressed His closeness to me in the changing colors of the leaves. Jesus swept away my negativity with the breath of His nostrils rustling in the leaves of the trees. The rut slipped away with the sounds of the babbling brook flowing down the mountainside. But, we cannot always escape to the mountains to repair our souls. So, what else can we do? Here are a few ways to fix a weary soul:
- Steal a few minutes away to share your burdens with God (1 Kings 8:28)
- Refresh your mind in the word of God (Psalm 119:121-128)
- Reflect on all the ways God loves you (John 3:16)
- Take a walk in God’s creation which God gave us (Psalm 96:11-12)
Weariness, if not repaired, will keep us separated from God.
John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
We must be aware of our human frailties which include weariness and burdened. God reminds us His burdens are light and should not weigh us down. When life grows heavy, it is time to sit down at Jesus’ feet and allow Him to fill us again.
[bctt tweet=”When life grows heavy, it is time to sit down at Jesus’ feet and allow Him to fill us again.“]
Blessings,
Yvonne – #blogger, #speaker, and #author
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”