Lord’s Day, Vol. 10 No. 31
Resting in Jesus
Matthew 11:28 (KJV) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
The greatest knowledge is the knowledge of God and the salvation of our souls. Jesus gave the invitation to the fullness of this knowledge when He said to us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
Burdens of Life
This is a call to a spiritual awakening, to awaken us to come to God, the Source of life and restfulness. Jesus highlights the trials and tribulations of life that takes away earthly and human comforts and joys, bringing to those who are sorely affected by their surroundings and their afflictions, great distress. Our trials remind us of the fleeting nature of our life here on earth. These can be perhaps sicknesses and sadness over the failed endeavours of this life without God.
When men are overdependent on earthly and human things, when our focus is earthly and earth-bound, we can find no true rest for our souls. This was Solomon’s confession when he lamented, “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?” (Eccl. 1:2-3).
When we seemed to think that we can settle down in life on this earth and have that mistaken notion that we will live here forever, we are often sorely disappointed. Life with God in Christ brings us to seek “the glory which shall be revealed” (Rom. 8:18). To take hold of the truth that we are but pilgrims here on earth and that we are to “set our affections on things above” (Col. 3:2). That is the rest Jesus offers to the heavy-laden soul.
There is a peace that Jesus offers to those who are going through the tribulations of this life so that they may understand the dynamics and purposes of such trials. This peace is the restfulness of the soul that Jesus gives – John 16:33 (KJV) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
In those great crises in life, we realized our weakness, helplessness and lack of power to determine life. We are exhorted to come to Jesus. First, we come to Him acknowledging our utter inability to order our lives. The burdens of life bring us to this realization, so that we may understand, that anything that is valuable must be eternal. This is what Jesus offers, eternal life, to all who come to Him.
Then, we come to Him acknowledging our inadequacies and being able to trace them to our sinfulness. Our love for our barns and vineyards are but snares and thorns that disappoint us in the final analysis of life. When one falls sick and is about to lose his life, he realizes, that these earthly efforts do not matter. He helplessly struggles to take hold of himself but finds it hard, he seems to be fleeting away.
Coming to Jesus
Our afflictions are designed by God to drive us to Him, to realize more of our utter dependence upon Him. When our prayers become mundane, when our reading of the Bible seemed so lifeless and routine, when we are slowly and surely drifting away from Him, Jesus calls out to us in our affliction, come to Me! Come out of your self-sufficiency and living on your own strength. come to Me!
The prophet Hosea said in Hosea 5:15 (KJV) I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
Sweet are the uses of adversity! It turns us to look at our Saviour in the times of our utter helplessness. As we struggle in our weakness, we find in Him our strength renewed – Isaiah 40:28-31 (KJV) Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
So true that the best time of our learning is during the times of our affliction. It is in the school of affliction that we appreciate the tender-loving care of our Lord and Saviour. In our self-reliance and self-sufficiency, we unconsciously or consciously shut Him out of our lives.
It is in our afflictions, in those times when we have no words to utter in our helplessness that we appreciate the still small voice of the Spirit of Jesus guiding us, “maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26). Finding in Him comfort and strength, solace and encouragement.
So that we may say with the Psalmist in Psalm 112:6-7 (KJV) Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
This is the rest that Jesus gives to all who hears and hearkens to His call. A strength that comes out of weakness, a hope that blossoms out of despair. If we will humble ourselves and come to Jesus, we shall surely find rest for our souls. We shall find healing and forgiveness for our sins. He died on the cross for our sins and rose victorious from the dead on the third day!
Jesus says “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30 (KJV))
Let us humble ourselves before our Lord Jesus Christ and find rest for our weary souls. Amen.
Yours lovingly
Pastor Lek Aik Wee