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“I will give you rest”—Matthew 11:28 Explained

Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt overwhelmed by the things of this world? Where life seemed so hard and no matter what you did, things just wouldn’t go right?

If you have, then join the club with every other Christian on this planet. We all go through periods like that, and they are times of learning and testing that allow you to grow stronger in Jesus.

God’s Solution

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says:

“Come to Me, all you who labour 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.”

Let’s take a look at this Scripture.

The first thing that Jesus says to us is, “Come to Me…” We are allowed to come to God personally; there is nothing between Him and us.

Second, He is inviting us to come. God wants you, in fact, He wants you so much that Jesus died on the Cross just to prove it. Jesus didn’t have to come to this earth and die, but God’s love is so great, and He wanted us so much that He chose to come.

Let that sink in for a few minutes. Take a moment to consider that. YOU ARE LOVED.

Third, God lets us know who needs rest: it is those who labour and are burdened, but what does that mean? In this context, those who labour means those who are striving to do it all on their own and failing.

I know that in my life when I try to do everything with my own strength alone it does not turn out well. When you are heavy-laden it is like your spirit, mind, will, and emotions can’t function because there is this weight on you that you try to lift by yourself. It causes you to feel down, depressed, anxious, all those negative things that we do not want in life.

So what does God say when we are weary? He will give us rest, and the best thing is He even tells us how and that is by taking His yoke upon us and learning from Him. What is this yoke? Rest for your soul (your mind, will and emotions). So what does God give us rest from?

1. Fear

We do not have to be afraid of anything in this world because God is with us and supernaturally protects us. Have you ever come so close to having a car accident and you were sure that it was going to happen, but the at the last moment it didn’t. That is God keeping you safe.

2. Hopelessness

In Jeremiah 29:11 God says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God has good plans for your life, and you can rest knowing that no matter what your life is like now, if you trust God, it will get better.

3. Addictions

We all start out thinking that we will always be able to control that sin we are about to commit, whether it be alcohol, smoking, drugs or pornography; and for a while, you can. Eventually, the addiction has you in its grasp and it now controls you. God wants to set you free and give you rest from the torture you are under. In Isaiah 58:6 we are told:

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?”

God can take that addiction and crush it in your life if you let Him. For some people, it will be instant, and for others, it will be a process as God heals your heart of the things that caused the addiction in the first place.

4. Depression

Depression robs you of the ability to enjoy life and not only hurts you mentally but physically as well. That is not God’s will for your life and you were not created that way. God wants you to live a full life and is able to heal your mind as you take those steps of faith to find His rest.

Finding God’s Rest

So how do we find God’s rest? We become like Jesus through the Holy Spirit. You can’t do it alone. It is not about trying harder, but about BEING more. What do I mean by that? It is a little bit hard to explain, but I will try my best.

There is knowledge and then knowingness. You can read in the Bible that we are supposed to trust God and acknowledge in your head that you do, but still act like you don’t because it is not real to you.

As you take those small steps of faith (and they are different for each person), and God comes through for you, you KNOW that you can trust Him in that one thing which gives you the courage to try the next one. It is only as we experience God that we become more like Jesus and can rest in Him.

It’s A Process

To learn how to rest in God takes time and it is a process. It’s like an onion. You peel through a layer and think that you have made it and learned what God’s rest is, only to find there is another layer for you to discover, learn and enjoy. It’s lifelong journey that only gets better and better if you let it.

Ask God today what is the first, small step for you to find God’s rest and then do what He tells you to do. Not sure how to hear His voice? Click here to learn how. The process is different for everyone because you are different than everyone. Let God show you the best way and then be thankful when He gives you those first steps.

~ By Kim Thompson-Pinder

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Comments(11)

  1. Reply
    mandy says

    i have been built up in my faith walk with our Lord Jesus Christ by reading this timely blog. i was thinking much about matth11:28 as i feel this is such a relevant scripture for this age we are living in. i needed some more opinions of others besides my own interpretation of this verse so that i can share God’s truth with whoever i come across in church or home or the mall downtown …..eph4v11speaks abut the ascension gifts or 5fold offices which are for the body of Christ for strength to grow, preparation to serve mankind-in turn serving God, maturity and development till we all on same level of faith, unity ,maturity or completeness lacking nothing that divides or confuses or hinders our walk (im paraphrasing of course) so that we experience and possess the entire( not half-full) measure of Christs fullness…..and we shall reflect his divinity…power….and ultimately..have His love ..a God love…..which has no trace of fear, insecurity, hypocrisy or weakness! so thanks to God that i “stumbled” upon faith island blog today 29sept ’18 in Durban South Africa .Yours in Christ, Mandy Ryan.

    • Reply
      Ben says

      I can not believe how “it’s a small world”…..kinda like the “Olympic rings” faith works in mystical ways.

    • Reply
      OYELAMI Oyekunle Joseph says

      Without faith it is impossible to please God.

    • Reply
      Joyce Boadi says

      I’m so happy to find this massage 👏 To God Be The Glory ! ! !

  2. Reply
    Bolaji Ikponmwosa says

    I have bless with the sermon,may the good Lord bless this ministers.

  3. Reply
    Sulieti Tuita says

    i am only 12 and I’m looking at this for a devotion i’m sharing. The thing is i don’t get this passage because it’s a really hard passage to understand, especially at a really young age.
    i really want to do good but there’s distractions in life that makes me forget. I just wanna reach out to others in prayer and a prayer request for me. May the LORD GOD! bless each and every one of those ministers hearts and other precious souls. MAY GOD BLESS YOU. xoxoxoxo

  4. Reply
    Sherel says

    Prayer is powerful 🙏 if we believe in Jesus mighty name.Whatever it is we will come to Jesus our weary and fears, heavy layden because he will give us rest.Amen

  5. Reply
    Clyde Jones says

    Woke up and was curious what these verses meant

  6. Reply
    Mogbadunade Emmanuel says

    He has told us to come and our response should be ‘Here I am, Lord’. Don’t argue with God. Come, Just Come.

  7. Reply
    Moana Symington says

    Being addicted to food or being a glutton is often an overlooked sin. Being obese does not glorify GOD nor bring the freedom that GOD intends for us.
    What breaks all these sins – the WORD (Logos), HOLY SPIRIT (Rhema), the name of JESUS CHRIST, the Blood of JESUS CHRIST, the Armor of GOD, using the LOGOS WORD of GOD (everyday) to sanctify, reconcile, justify, glorify and recover ALL that belongs to the CHILD of GOD!!! Therefore, it really is imperative that the disciple (student) commit to memory GOD’s WORD.

  8. Reply
    Rina Moana Symington says

    Yes, it is imperative that we hide God’s Word in our hearts. It is the living and active Word of God (Logos), the leading and guidance of Holy Spirit (Rhema), the name and the blood of Jesus Christ, the armor of God, the fellowship of the saints which transform and frees us from our sins.
    Gluttony is also seen as a sin which robs, kills and destroys.

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