Rest For Your Soul

“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.”

Matthew 11:28-30

I wrote the following article for our church website. We have a weekly blog called "Taking Worship Home," and part of my job is to write it every so often. I wanted to share this one here during this busy season of Advent.

The title of this week’s sermon is “What Jesus Has For Me: Disciples Come To Receive.” (CLICK HERE to listen to it.) I honestly didn’t know if I would be able to receive what Jesus had for me in worship this weekend, but then in the opening prayer we spoke these words:

“Enter my reality, quiet the noise, slow my frantic pace, and give to me the rest and restoration my soul longs for that only You can give. Amen.”

“Enter my reality.” My reality on Sunday morning was a squirmy one year old in my lap, an even squirmier two year old sitting on the pew next to me, and Daddy was on a plane to New York. I was sitting there thinking that there was no way I was going to be able to take anything home from worship this weekend, much less write about it. I was wrong. This prayer hit me right where I was, and I intend to memorize it this week. It was exactly what I needed to hear then, and I have already needed to hear it since.

Then came the Gospel reading.

“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.” Matthew 11:28-30

This scripture is not new to me. In fact, in my years of teaching in a Lutheran school, this was one of the verses my students memorized each year. I’ve even sung these words in Handel’s Messiah; but, at one point in the sermon, Pastor Wiechman emphasized the word “souls” in such a way that I had honestly never thought about before. When I hear weary and burdened, I immediately think of needing physical and mental rest. It’s no wonder! “...quiet the noise, slow my frantic pace,...” I know this prayer was not just for me. I am certain these are words we can all relate to. What I really need, what we all really need, is rest in our soul. “...give to me the rest and restoration my soul longs for that only You can give.”

Heavenly Father, We get so busy, especially during this time of year, and as much as we need physical and mental rest, the only way we will truly find relief from our weariness is to find the rest for our souls that comes from You and You alone. Thank You for providing that for us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.