COV LIFE BLOG

Matthew 11:28-30 – Rest for the Restless Soul

Our souls only find rest in hope. That’s what we’re frantically looking for whenever our souls are burdened and restless: hope. And that’s what most of the marketing of most of the products in the world tries to offer us: hope. But they are false hopes for soul-rest, providing only temporary distraction from or briefly masking the effects of our burdened souls. They don’t truly lighten our loads.
 
No, our burdened souls only truly find rest in one place:
 
     For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, 
          for my hope is from him. 
     He only is my rock and my salvation, 
          my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 
     On God rests my salvation and my glory; 
          my mighty rock, my refuge is God. (Psalm 62:5-7) 
 
Jesus knows that he only is our salvation, our fortress, our mighty rock, our refuge. He is the one answer to every question, concern, fear, and need we will ever have. And so he simply and comprehensively offers us himself. For our hope is from him. Only in him will we find rest for our souls.
 
But if what he promises us is rest, why does he tell us to put on his yoke? A yoke is placed on a beast of burden in order to do some work. Is Jesus offering us rest or work?
 
That is precisely the question Jesus wants us to ask: What work must we do for him that supposedly will give us rest?
 
What is happening here is a yoke-exchange. In the cross, Jesus takes our inconceivably and unbearably heavy yoke of sin’s condemnation and penalty, and offers us in exchange the easy yoke and light burden of simply trusting him. He does all the work and gives us all the rest. And his work not only fully addresses our sin problem, but also provides the supply of every other need we will ever have (Philippians 4:19).
 
So if you are weary, for whatever reason, however complex, Jesus invites you to come. Come, take his light yoke of believing in him. And if it’s hard, don’t come alone. Come to Jesus with and through a believing friend. Believe, abide, and follow Jesus’s example. And you will find rest for your soul.

Jon Bloom

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SCRIPTURES FOR THIS SUNDAY
Is the weight of your worries and your life causing you to crumble under a heavy yoke? Read Matthew 11:28-30. Jesus offers you today another yoke purchased by his blood and sealed by his resurrection. Why wouldn’t come into Christ’s rest and trade your heavy and burdensome yoke for the light and easy yoke of Christ?

SONG FOR THIS WEEK
O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer by Nathan Stiff