40 Days in the Word - Power of the Word Sample

Theme | I Will Give You Rest

From | Ali Bonhomme

Verses | Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 91:1

These are three of my favourite Bible passages and over the years I have leaned into and held onto these verses. They all carry a common theme: an invitation for us to receive rest, strength and shelter from the Lord, with no strings attached.

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus encourages us to come to Him for rest when we are weary and burdened. How easy is it for us to look in other places or to other things for rest?! A holiday, a weekend off, a sleep-in or even medication to ease our tired body and soul. Yet Jesus offers us a simple solution… ”come to me”.

Interestingly verse 29 says that we are to “learn” from Him and it is in doing so that we will then find rest for our souls. If you’ve had your time learning the world’s ways of rest and found it ineffective, it's time to learn from Jesus.

So how do we learn His way of doing life? By taking His yoke upon us. He teaches us that His yoke is easy and His burden light. A yoke is a farming apparatus made from a single piece of wood designed to bring two farm animals together, so the load is shared and consequently, made lighter. Farmers yoke together animals so they go in the same direction, to the same place, at the same time and pace. When yoked together, one cannot go faster than the other or veer off track. A yoke works as a guidance mechanism and is a symbol of partnership between us and the Lord. In His gentle and humble way, Jesus is effectively saying “I never meant for you to carry all your problems by yourself, let Me help you, let Me guide you”.

I pray that today you will learn a new way of life, a new pace, that is guided by the Lord, and in which you come to find in Him a rest like no other.

Prayer | Lord, as I come to you today; open, vulnerable and honest, I lay my burdens, my weariness and fatigue at your feet. I pray that You would teach me Your ways. Teach me to live in Your rest, Your grace and at Your pace for my life. Show me the areas in my life that I need to adjust and the things I need to let go of. I pray that as I learn to walk alongside You, You will renew my strength. Amen.