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Sunday, September 2
“Come to Me, all you
who labor and
are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest.”
Matt. 11:28 NKJV
* ...all you who labor:
to feel fatigue, to work hard, to labor
with wearisome effort, to toil, to grow weary, exhausted, tired.
Exhaustion plagues many people after a long day’s work at a
job they hate. Stress consumes the worker as the economy serves up less and
less for each dollar. Everyone toils to stay afloat, to make ends meet.
What is the return for the strain of intense labor? Solomon
asked, “What does a man get for all his hard work?” (Eccl. 1:3 TLB) He
lamented, “All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not
satisfied.” (Eccl. 6:7 NKJV)
The stomach may be full but the soul is not satisfied. The
body is sapped of energy. So many are just plain wearied and tired. It hits all
of us at one time or another. And just as it is possible to get weary
physically, it is equally possible to get weary emotionally and spiritually.
Do you ever feel tired, overburdened, and weary?
* ...and are heavy
laden: to load up as a vessel or animal, to bear, something carried, to heap
on.
When you encounter heavy burdens from...
* relationships that are strained to the breaking point,
* the job market being almost non-existent,
* prices on everything continuing to climb,
* family problems that loom,
* a death in the family,
* daily schedules,
* the attacks of the enemy and you feel like giving up,
...does the stress overwhelm you? Do you need a rest?
* ...I will give you rest:
to repose, refresh, to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor
in order to recover and collect his strength to give rest, intermission from
labor.
Work is not always laborious; it can also be fulfilling.
Solomon also said, “Every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all
his labor - it is the gift of God.” (Eccl. 3:13 NKJV)
So, how many enjoy their work? How many realize it is a gift
of God? Enjoyment of our labor comes much easier if we praise God for what we
have, keep a positive attitude, and take a break to rest from it once in a
while to avoid burnout.
Even God rested on the seventh day. Jesus got weary and
rested. He took time to enjoy Himself. He attended weddings and dinners with
friends. He laughed and teased and had a good time.
He also spent time in prayer to recharge Himself. He took
time to slow down and be with the Father, going off to the solitude and
serenity of the mountainside or the gardens to pray. One day, Jesus sat by the
well of His forefathers to rest and recuperate, to quench His thirst.
What do you do before every last drop of your physical,
emotional, and spiritual vitality have evaporated?
* Do you rest from your work?
* Do you take a vacation?
* Do you take a day off now and then (especially if you
cannot take a vacation), just to enjoy yourself and your family?
* Do you relinquish your will, surrendering to God’s
leading?
* Do you keep a positive attitude?
* Do you spend time in prayer?
When labor becomes arduous and circumstances burdensome, sit
by the well of the Father, lowering your bucket into His spring of Living Water
to quench your parched spirit and soul, and regain your strength and power,
pausing until every thought of stress is lifted.
Rest in God’s promise, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy
the faint.” (Jer. 31:25 NIV)
“Those who trust in
the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high
on wings like eagles.
They will run and not
grow weary.
They will walk and
not faint.”
(Is. 40:31 NLT)
“Come to Me, all you who labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
(You might find encouragement in these two posts entitled Let Down Your Wings and Come, Sit by the Well.)
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