Cody Carnes - Run to the Father Devotional Sample

God’s Promise of Rest

I’ve carried a burden for too long on my own

I wasn’t created to bear it alone

I hear Your invitation

To let it all go

I see it now

I’m laying it down

I know that I need You

Rest. 

Chances are, you read that word and thought to yourself, “I need that.” And you wouldn’t be alone. The anxiety permeating our culture today is overwhelming. People are tired, weary, discouraged, burdened; by life, by the economy, by politics, by personal struggles.

Yet it’s into this chaos Jesus speaks. And the promise He gives us is amazing.

“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 11:28-30, NIV

We can often find ourselves carrying burdens we were never meant to carry. The pressure can feel relentless. The shame can be tormenting. The weariness can be crippling. 

Yet Jesus’ promise remains…

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

The reality is, what Jesus did on the cross made a way for you and me to always have the opportunity to experience relationship with God. We can run to our Heavenly Father, unashamedly, and find rest in His presence. We can lay our burdens at His feet.

Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) encourages us, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

The enemy wants you to think God’s only going to talk to you about everything wrong with you. That He’s going to judge you and make you feel guilty. But that’s not the heart of our Father. He’s gentle. He’s humble in heart. He desires to bring rest to your soul – your mind, your will, and your emotions. 

All He needs is you. And James 4:8 assures us that as we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.