As we begin each day’s reflection, invite the Lord to come be with you as you read and meditate on His Word. Take a moment and read the bible passage slowly, allowing the Lord to draw you to any word or phrase that speaks to you.

Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." 

Imagine yourself sitting with others listening to Jesus speak. You are only a few yards away, close enough to not only hear his voice clearly, but you can also see the sweat dripping down his face and notice the pleading in his eyes as he speaks. It almost feels like He’s begging you to really hear what he is saying. It’s like he cares deeply that you understand what he’s trying to convey. 

But you're sitting here, not because you really wanted to come, but because someone thought it would be a good idea, and you begrudgingly said yes. The last thing you have time for right now is wasting the day listening to some traveling teacher. There is so much work to be done. Money doesn’t grow on trees and everything is more expensive. On top of all the daily busyness that fills your every waking moment, the stress weighing down your shoulders from the situation with your family feels heavier by the day. It feels like the problems just don’t ever end. How can you keep up with everything if you’re sitting here listening to someone talk about repenting of your sins and how God has come to judge us? 

And yet, despite all the words that can be confusing at times, there is a sense of peace being here. You can’t quite put your finger on it, and it feels elusive, like you can’t catch it and hold it close. It teases you as you hear the voice of Jesus. Something stirs in your heart, and you look again at this man, preaching in front of you. And he looks you right in the eyes and says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” 

As the words fall from his lips and land in your mind, you feel the peace settle in your soul. You feel seen and understood. He gets it. He knows you. And he wants to help. Oh, to release the burden and the weight of all these things and find peace. That is the desire you’ve had hidden underneath the busy and stressed-out exterior. You feel these words so deeply in your being, that you have to almost restrain yourself from leaping up and rushing straight into his arms as his words, “Come to me…” repeat over and over in your head. Today. Today, things change. Coming here was not a waste of time. Coming here and listening to Jesus was life changing. 

Reflection Questions: What burdens are you carrying around that need to be given over to the Lord? Take some time to examine what you can surrender to Him and how you can be free to live with more peace and less stress. 

Prayer: Jesus, I want to come to You. I want to find rest. I want to release the yoke I carry that keeps me from joy and peace and wants to bury me beneath a million worries and concerns. Help me to trust You and learn from You so that I can walk in Your ways without the heaviness of too many worldly concerns. Amen