Matthew 11:28-29 – 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Have you been “heavy laden”? At some point in our lives we feel burdened. There are stresses that weigh on our shoulders. There are questions and worries that wake us up in the night. There are losses we suffer and fears we face that shorten our breath and make life feel so very difficult. We become worn out when each day feels exhausting and rest is fleeting.

Our family went through a season in need of rest not too long ago. Life was hard. There were many restless nights. Stress was high. We needed physical rest and rest for our souls. We needed to release our burdens and lean on our gentle Savior. It can be difficult when life is hard not to try harder, do more, and work through our challenges on our own strength.

Jesus invites us, “Come to me.” We can come to Jesus with all of our stresses, questions, worries, losses, difficulties, anxieties and concerns. We can lean into his promise to be with us. We can trust him to give us rest.

Jesus uses the term “yoke” which is a tool used on oxen. A similar term is used metaphorically in the Old Testament to describe bondage and servitude. Jesus isn’t inviting us into bondage or harsh servitude. He is welcoming his followers into a discipling relationship. When a young ox was being trained, it would be yoked to a more seasoned ox in order to learn how to plow the field. Taking the yoke of Jesus means learning to walk in his way. He is gentle. He teaches us by going first and he leads us the way we should go.

Do you need rest? Learn from Jesus and let him take the lead. He will give you rest.