O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).
Finding Rest When You Bind Yourself to Christ
“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” (v. 29). Jesus’ invitation, extended to all who are under a load of cares. Friendship with God calms our fears and produces a quiet peace within. Rest in Jesus is found in faith and displayed in obedience. Consider a child whose thoughts are simple—food, play, potty, and sleep. She can rest because she loves and trusts her parents. They do the hard work of providing an atmosphere that allows her to rest, secure from harm. Left to contend for herself, she would be an unhappy, selfish child.
Faith is not merely an intellectual exercise. Faith is practical; it requires love and trust. These characteristics act as cords that bind us together. With our minds we hold a belief, with our heart and will—love and trust—we bind ourselves to another person. If that Person is Christ, we draw near to Him with something more than our minds. We engage our will to trust Him and our hearts to love and rest in Him. When Christ is at the core of our soul we come into agreement with Him, we are united with Him. We “Come unto Me” and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we come to Him, we are called to take up His yoke, to obey and serve Him. When we release our anxieties and fears, putting our trust in the infinite love and power of Jesus, He becomes a covert from the storm, an ocean full of blessing. We find peace beyond understanding when we say, “You are My Master, and to You, I bow my knee.” We are delivered from the unrest of self-will and contending desires. There is rest when we surrender to the One Who loves us beyond any love we can imagine.
Have you found rest in “Coming unto Jesus?” Have you surrendered your will to His will? Are you exercising faith in Him as the Captain of your soul? There is rest and peace when you place your faith in Jesus, engaging your will to love and trust the Almighty God. This is the secret to finding rest for your soul. “O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best! ’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!”
Yoking Yourself to Jesus
One of the darkest hours of my life was when my daddy was dying. Saying goodbye to my hero and confidante was excruciating. What made it even more difficult, was that I was angry with God. Why would He take my daddy when he was so young? I had no peace until I finally let go and accepted the situation within the depths of my being. My entire being was weak and emptied. It literally felt like surrendering with my hand up. Out of this most difficult time of life grew a love for the hymns and the vision to restore hope for others who are hurting and questioning the existence of a loving God.
Your Turn: Consider a difficult time you are currently facing, or that you have endured in the past. Where is (or was) God? If you have not surrendered to God, I encourage you to do so. Ask Him to teach you what He has for you to learn through this difficulty.
This might be a good week to make a simple ox yoke from a branch, a dowel, a piece of driftwood, or another rather long, straight object you might have lying around. Use a rope, wire, or coat hanger to form the 2 loops. Write any portion of Matt. 11:28-30 above or below the yoke. (Come to Me, all you who labor 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.) Write “Jesus” on one side and [Your Name] on the other side. Or, if you prefer, you could put a picture of Jesus and a mirror on the other side. Display the yoke in your home as a gentle reminder.