Christian Devotional – November 15, 2014

Read Matthew chapter 11

VERSE:

Matthew 11:28–Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

TRUTH:

This often quoted verse lies sandwiched between some interesting other verses, Right before this verse, Jesus tells the people that they can’t really know God unless they know Him and after this verse Jesus explains that he does have a load that we are to carry, but that load is easy. So how does this verse fit in? The people Jesus was speaking to were used to viewing God as someone who had lots of rules and laws that had to be fulfilled in order to be considered “right” with God. They were burdened with all that it took to try and please God. Jesus wanted them to know that He truly knows God and that He knows what God wants. People can come to Him to get to know God and His requirements weren’t nearly so burdensome. His requirements were still there: people must come and give Him their entire life and self, but once they do that, Jesus takes the burden upon Himself and He allows the people to have a real, meaningful relationship with God. Are we still trying to work our way to God, trying to prove to Him that we can be good on our own? Jesus wants to take that burden from us and introduce us personally to the Father through a relationship with Him.

RESPONSE:

Father, You and Jesus are One and through Jesus, I can know You. You are the one to whom I lay my burden. I give up my struggling, my striving, my desperate attempt to be right in my own strength and I take up Your burden. I give You my whole life and will go where You direct and move as You direct.