The Gift of Rest

The Gift of Rest

Jesus’ initial invitation to us offers us the promise of rest. It’s anincredible gift, one that all of us need. It seems illusive and distantto so many people, especially those of us who know the heavy burden of sinin our lives.We need rest. All of us know the need to rest after long hours of work. My wife and I were recently on Nantucket Island. On the return trip toCape Cod by high speed ferry, we encountered a large group of constructionworkers who commute to the island every day. They can’t afford to live onthe island, so the contractors pay the high cost of getting them back andforth.When we met them, they were tired. They get up early for the commute. They work hard. The hour-long ride to the Cape was a chance to closetheir eyes and rest before getting to their cars and trucks for the drivehome.

We need other kinds of rest. Some of us know great guilt, and we needrest from that guilt. Others of us know great fear, and we need rest. Still more of us know the unrest that comes with life-controllingaddictions. We, too, need rest. All of us know the struggle with sin,and many of us have tried to win the struggle through our own efforts. We know the failure of those efforts. We need rest. Jesus comes to people like us and offers to us this incredible gift! Come to Me, He says, and I will give you rest. He adds no qualifiers orrestrictions. Come to Me.

The invitation is simple and the promised giftis everything we need.Only Jesus can give us the rest He offers. If you have come to Him already, you know His promise is true. If you’ve not come to Him, you can right now. It’s as simple as saying “Jesus, I accept your invitation tocome to you, and I receive your gift of rest. I trust you and you aloneto take away my burden of sin, guilt and fear. Thank you for the gift ofrest.”Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give yourest. You can come today! (Pastor John Strain – First Baptist Toms River)

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: If you want a wonderful experience, take your New Testament and use aconcordance to look up the two little words, but God. See how many timeshuman resources have been brought to an utter end; despair has gripped theheart and pessimism and gloom has settled upon a people; and there isnothing that can be done. Then see how the Spirit of God writes inluminous letters, but God, and the whole situation changes into victory.Ray C. Stedman