Mass
murders, rapes, abductions, robbery at gunpoint, churches being burned or
bombed, trusted officials treating suspects brutally, and angry men shooting
policemen to death - this is the world we find around us. This is not happening only in countries
around us but right here in the United States.
Kidney
disease, heart disease, diabetes, morbid obesity, hospitalizations, cancer, and
children dying before they reach their teens.
After reading these two lists how are you feeling? Hopeless?
Fear,
dread, hatred, anger, confusion, weariness, and mental illness. Do you find any rest in these three lists? You cannot find true rest in this world. This world is still full of the fruit of
sinful man. Even King Solomon recognized
what it was like to live life in this sin filled world: “So I
hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun caused me only great
sorrow; because all is futility
and chasing after the wind.” –Ecclesiastes 2:17 AMP
When
I was young I found myself becoming anxious when I watched the evening news and
heard of all the violence around the world.
At that time we did not see much violence in the United States. As the years go by I find these things
increase all around me. It should make
me worried and anxious but it does not. Why?
I am at peace during the midst of turmoil due to fellowship with the God
Who created this world. I accepted Jesus
as my Lord and Savior on October 30, 1973 at the age of seventeen. In the past 43 years I have grown in knowledge
of Him through reading His Word, spending daily quality time in His Presence in
prayer, and worshiping regularly with other believers. I have found rest in the un-rest.
“Come
unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” –Matthew 11:28 KJV
Many of us know this verse and claim
it as a promise that God will give us rest but we often forget that the promise
is conditional, “Come unto me…” I used to think that this meant I was to go to
Him in prayer. That was the level of my
faith when I was young; call out to Him in prayer and He will give me what I
need. God loves us so much He will meet
us where our faith is at and does meet our needs (Phil. 4:19) but He has so
much more for us. Let me share with you
this verse in context with the verses that follow it:
“Come
to me, all of you who are weary and over-burdened, and I will give you rest!
Put on my yoke and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28-30 PHILLIPS
Here we find another prerequisite to
finding that much sought after rest, “Put
on my yoke and learn from me.” When
I see an ambulance going by with siren and lights flashing I take a moment and
pray for those EMTs, for God to give them wisdom regarding the person they are
helping and for safety in all that are concerned. When I see a homeless person begging for
money and food I drive through the nearest fast food “drive-through” and get a
meal for them. Then when I drive by
where they are I give them the meal and ask God to bless him. When I see some tragedy on the news I find
myself praying for all the sorrowful family and friends related to it to find
the peace and rest in God as I have. I
do not set out to do these things, they just spring from the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I am sharing His yoke (burden) and
it is easy to do. I spend time reading
His Word every morning and bring my thanks, praise, and needs in prayer to
Him. I try to read at least one Psalm in
the middle of the day. Every night the
last thing I do before going to bed is to read out of a devotional book and
pray about what I read with Him. He is
truly the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and ending of every day for me. This is the way I come to Him and learn from
Him. In this world of un-rest I have
found rest. He IS my rest!
“Come
here to me, all who are growing weary to the point of exhaustion, and who have
been loaded with burdens and are bending beneath their weight, and I alone will
cause you to cease from your labor and take away your burdens and thus refresh
you with rest. Take at once my yoke upon
you and learn from me, because I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find
cessation from labor and refreshment for your souls, for my yoke is mild and
pleasant, and my load is light in weight.” –Matthew 11:28-30 WUEST
Oh brothers and sisters in the Lord
I pray that each of you will find His rest in this world of un-rest! It is simple, all you have to do is, go to
Him, give Him your burdens and learn from Him.
He will give you rest.
