August 28, 2023 8:00 pm
I sat in the stillness of a workday’s end, my laptop in front of me. I should’ve been exhilarated about the work I’d finished that day, but I wasn’t. I was tired. My shoulders ached with the load of anxiety over a problem at work, and my mind was spent from thinking about a troubled relationship. I wanted to escape from it all—my thoughts wandered to watching TV that night.
But I closed my eyes. “Lord,” I whispered. I was too tired to say more. All my weariness went into that one word. And somehow, I immediately knew that was where it should go.
“Come to me,” Jesus tells us who are weary and burdened, “and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Not the rest from a good night’s sleep. Not the break from reality that television offers. Not even the relief when a problem has been solved. Although these may be good sources of rest, the respite they offer is short-lived and dependent on our circumstances.
In contrast, the rest Jesus gives is lasting and guaranteed by His unchanging character. He’s always good. He gives us true rest for our souls even in the midst of trouble, because we know that everything is in His control. We can trust and submit to Him, endure and even thrive in difficult situations because of the strength and restoration only He can give.
“Come to me,” Jesus tells you. “Come to me.”
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Our Daily Bread Ministries
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Encouraging Prayer
James Banks
Encouraging Prayer
James Banks
Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled When You're Weary was written by Karen Huang. I sat in the stillness of a work day's end, my laptop in front of me. I should have been exhilarated about the work I'd finished that day, but I wasn't. I was tired. My shoulders ached with a load of anxiety over a problem at work, and my mind was spent from thinking about a troubled relationship. I wanted to escape from it all.
My thoughts wandered to watching TV that night, but I closed my eyes. Lord, I whispered. I was too tired to say more. All my weariness went into that one word, and somehow, I immediately knew that was where it should go.
Come to me. Jesus tells us who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Not the rest from a good night's sleep, not the break from reality that television offers, not even the relief when a problem has been solved. Although these may be good sources of rest, the respite they offer is short-lived and dependent on our circumstances. In contrast, the rest Jesus gives is lasting and guaranteed by His unchanging character.
He's always good. He gives us true rest for our souls, even amid trouble, because we know that everything is in His control. We can trust and submit to Him, endure, and even thrive in difficult situations because of the strength and restoration only He can give. Come to me, Jesus tells us.
Come to me. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Matthew chapter 11, verses 25 through 30. At that time, Jesus said, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. All things have been committed to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you 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. Please pray with me. Heavenly Father, at the end of a long and stress-filled day, remind us that true rest is found only in you. Renew our spirits and give us strength and courage to move forward tomorrow. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening today. My name is Brenna Holzkla, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-08-28 20:58:05 / 2023-08-28 20:59:42 / 2
