Rest begins Restoration

Matthew 11:28-29 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Insomnia… I am occasionally afflicted with insomnia. There are nights when my brain refuses to shut down. I lay in bed, tossing and turning, wishing for some sweet sleep. No matter how hard I try to shut down my thoughts, they continue to swirl through my head like a blizzard of stress, worry and to-do lists.

In the morning, I get out of bed slowly and face my day in a fog. My eyes are heavy and my focus is limited. I am reminded how important rest is for my physical well being. Without allowing my body the true rest of sleep, I am unable to function as normal. I also leave myself open for more mistakes and even attacks of illness because my immune system is weakened. Rest is imperative for a healthy physical body.

In that same way, resting in the Lord is imperative for my spiritual well being. Just as my body cannot function properly without sleep, my spiritual walk suffers without proper rest. My faith is weakened and I become more susceptible to the attacks of the devil.

So how do we rest in the Lord? It is really quite simple – we pray. By spending time with our Lord in prayer and the Word daily, we are inviting His Presence to be with us throughout our day. Just as one night of sleep will not carry our physical bodies through an entire week, one morning in prayer and scripture will not suffice for 7 days, either. We cannot limit our time in the presence of God to Sundays only, or we leave ourselves open to doubt and fear because of our weakened faith.

In today’s scripture, Jesus promises us that if we come to Him, He will give us rest. I pray that the true rest found in Christ bring you strengthened faith and restoration to your burdened and weary mind. Just remember to come to Him daily and you will have optimum spiritual health.

What is your favorite time of day for devotion and prayer? Do you find it difficult to face the day without first resting in Jesus?