Refresh
Read This Week: Matthew 11
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.”
– Matthew 11:25-30 NIV
No word picture in the New Testament or the Gospels shows the depth of what we have in our life with God more than the teachings of Jesus in verse 27 where he says:
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.
We have received all that God has for us by coming to know Jesus. By entering into a relationship with the One who called us to himself. Our lives can be Godly lives that refresh, renew, and are sustainable in normal circumstances; in difficult situations; in relationships; sitting in traffic; working out; or parenting kids.
This passage shows how our faith refreshes us when life is overwhelming. But it also provides insight into how our difficult moments can be an opportunity to advance in our walk with Christ. We lack nothing because the Father has revealed Himself in the Son. Jesus is more than enough for us.
Without this connection, we can do nothing that glorifies God, but with this relationship, even the downtimes are sacred and impactful, and the small decisions benefit from renewal. We are all in need of encouragement, direction, and strength in the minor and the major. Sometimes, just getting through the day requires spiritual refreshment. God can refresh and sustain us if we rely on and trust in Him. Jesus tells us that if we take His burden upon ourselves and learn from Him, we will find rest for our souls.
In this rest, the Holy Spirit can arrange an encounter between selfishness and sanctification. When we tap into everything that God has given us in Jesus, we begin to tear down the false image and rebuild a new, refreshed person alive in the fullness of Christ. Our attitudes shift from personal gain to spiritual renewal. We go from looking for relief from our stuff to passionately seeking the will of God just like the message Jesus relayed to John the Baptist. He wants us to stop focusing on our present circumstances and place our sight on and trust in Him and His perfect will no matter what comes our way in life.
Spiritual and emotional healing and refreshment take place when we move toward and go to God. Jesus says in verse 28, Come to me. He is telling us that He will help us deal with our issues and challenges along the path of pursuing him. This promise made to those listening to the words of Jesus centuries ago certainly rings true for us in the present. He will refresh us and strengthen our hearts and minds as we engage with his truth every day. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. This truth is a refreshing promise whenever and wherever we find ourselves in life.
Life can sure be hard at times. However, it’s good to have God’s comfort, peace, and direction. When resting in the Lord, we get strengthened and empowered, He gives us what we need to make it through and prosper.
Living an interconnected life with God is much easier than trying to go it alone. He carries our heavy loads and just asks that we love Him and love others.
I don’t think it can be said better than what you wrote about a life with God and doing life together with people than this last paragraph you penned, Ken:
Living an interconnected life with God is much easier than trying to go it alone. He carries our heavy loads and just asks that we love Him and love others.
An interconnected life. I love that because it gives us the connotation and reminds us of the truth that we are not only connected to God in a casual sense but interconnected as his redeemed children. And it is that bond that interconnects us to others that know and love him in a way that no other affinity on earth can. That is truly refreshing to know.
I have a poem from Matthew 11 verse 28:
Come, my child, tell me what’s on your mind come
Rest with Me and from your troubles unwind.
Tell me all about them, unload yourself on me
Come, so from your worries, I may set you free.
Come, my child, sit here with Me
Come, so I may give you water from the living well.
God is saying to me, “My child let me release into you, My peace that you need. Let Me soak you in my mercy, grace, and love. Tell me everything, reset here and I will always be here.”
Love your poems from God, Jeri. When we sit with God and share with Him, life gets better.
I couldn’t agree more, Ken. Such beautiful prose and worship to God from a creative heart.
Thank you so much for your offering this week, Jeri. It really touched and ministered to me. I don’t think there is a Christian alive or anyone for that matter that doesn’t need these words or the reality of God’s love and care for us:
Tell me all about them (troubles), unload yourself on me
Come, so from your worries, I may set you free.
You beautifully captured the nurturing and loving nature of Father God and how much he cares not only about what we are going through but ultimately about us and our hearts.
Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt so overwhelmed, over burdened, feeling so hurt by the stuff going on in your life or maybe it’s other peoples stuff that your taken on yourself, or maybe it’s so hard no matter what you do or say things just don’t go right, now your feeling really over burdened? Well Jesus says here in verse 28
Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”
In the message
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Looks like were all in the same boat, were all going through something, everyone has something going on.
Father God’s Heart is for us to come to Him, to get what we need, hang out with Jesus, be lead by the Holy Spirit.
No one or nothing in this world can make us feel special like they can. When we feel so needy and try get it from someone then we can make them feel burdened, when we get what we need from Jesus we feel God’s peace, love, and were in a place of feeling contentment now were a blessing to others.
you see Jesus Praying to the Father in verse 25
what stuck out to me was Jesus praising His Father joyfully acknowledging His Great wisdom, thanking Him for revealing His wisdom to new believers and to those seeking His Father will and purpose.
I believe when your seeking, worshiping Him, willing, to listen and want to do the Father’s will He will help you, do it with you, you will find rest, feel His peace instead of it being a burden. It’s all about wanting to, desiring, be excited for what is to come
Wow! Thank you Father God for your love
I love this commentary, Heidi. I felt an array of emotions while reading your words. This particular section really grabbed me and I read it over three times:
No one or nothing in this world can make us feel special like they can. When we feel so needy and try to get it from someone then we can make them feel burdened, when we get what we need from Jesus we feel God’s peace, love, and we’re in a place of feeling contentment now were a blessing to others.
These truths are so hopeful and promising about all that is available to us through our relationship with God through Jesus and the ministry of His Holy Spirit. What an incredible thing to know they are all we need because they are eternally sufficient for all of our needs.
Thank you, God, for all you do!
It always brings such a different and refreshing perspective when we give thanks, doesn’t it, Heidi? I appreciate you always being quick to give God praise, glory, and thanks.
Hi Jason. I posted here and on Mathew 12. If you don’t mind reading. I always love your feedback!
Hey, Kathy. I just commented on your wonderful post on Matthew 12. I am sorry I missed this one. Will read it and share. I appreciate you and all of your great insight.
Yes, it does, Jason! Thank you also, for all you do. You bless us with great encouragement and we appreciate you.
Praise God! You all are a blessing and encouragement to me. I appreciate you.
This is what I got from God in Matthew 11. The kingdom will never be received passively. It is always founded on My work on your behalf, but my work will always produce a response in you. Jesus’s power will be displayed mostly in humble acts of service and in meeting individual needs. Jesus really is a friend of sinners, which means He is a friend of yours. To my son, Jesus, you must come, by a personal trust. If you are burdened you must come to Him, to release your need instead of living in self-sufficiency. Labor implies the burdens you take upon yourself, and heavy laden implies the burdens others put on you. Give Me your burdens. Trust Me.
I will give you rest. You must come as disciples to learn, willing to be guided by Jesus’s yoke. The yoke of Jesus is easy and light, as long as you do not rebel against it. You will find “rest for your soul”. The reason it is easy and light is because He bears it with you. You have to let Him bear it with you. Come to me through Jesus. I want you to work in a partnership with Us.
What this said to me is to quit trying to be so self-sufficient. It also tells me to quit living in rebellion. God wants me to turn all my worries over to Him. I am to lay them at His feet. If I do I will have rest, and I will be comforted and I will find peace through Him.
Great stuff, Kathy. I read this part 3-4 times and it resonated with my heart and I believe it is something every believer needs to hear, especially believers that live in America and struggle with self-reliance and human sufficiency.
If you are burdened you must come to Him, to release your need instead of living in self-sufficiency. Labor implies the burdens you take upon yourself, and heavy laden implies the burdens others put on you. Give Me your burdens. Trust Me.
The idea of labor being an indication of the burden we put on ourselves and that which we refuse to give to God is profound. God gives us this grand invitation to enter into His rest and to come to Him with our burdens for Him to bear and often we willingly ignore it. It seems unthinkable to carry those things in the seeming sufficiency of our humanity when God in his imminence and all-powerful divinity desires for us to give it to Him.
It is very much a trust issue that you point out. We must trust Him more than ourselves, our talent, acumen, and resources. He alone has what we need to bear the weight of this life.
Thank you so much Jason!