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My God is…giving me rest Matthew 11:27-29

Matthew 11:27-29 – All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except silent, pause or break time hand gesturethe Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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.

Come to me

Jesus says, “Come to me”. We are to come to Him with all things. He doesn’t tell us to go talk to your best friend, sister, brother or mother. He tells us to come to Him. Why? Because He’s the only one who can actually do anything for us that will have eternal consequences. God is not only concerned with the struggles you’re going through now, but He is also concerned with the condition of your heart and soul. He wants you to come to Him, because coming to Him is a confession of faith. If you come to the Lord, you are showing that you put trust in Him to handle your situation. Coming to the Lord in prayer takes faith. It’s not necessarily a measure of how much faith you have, but when you come to Him, you acknowledge that He exists, and that you think He can change things for you.

All you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens

If you’ve never been weary or carried a heavy burden, this verse is not for you. Read no further. Wait, you’re still reading, I bet you are. No one I know has not gone through a time of weariness. Most have had some very heavy burdens to bear. Some are because of their own actions and some are of other peoples making, but we’ve all had struggles. We’ve all been in pain and hurting. God wants us to come to Him. We don’t need to be hopeless, because we know that God is there for us. He is going to strengthen us and preserve us in all things. He doesn’t get weary or tired, so you know He’ll always be able to help.

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted; Isaiah 40:28-30

I will give you rest

I don’t know if any of you have suffered with insomnia. I have only battles with short bouts of it in my life, but even those short lived struggles show you how much you need your rest. In fact, here are 10 Surprising Effects of lack of sleep. (click on the link for more information)

1. Sleepiness Causes Accidents

2. Sleep Loss Dumbs You Down

3. Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Serious Health Problems

4. Lack of Sleep Kills Sex Drive

5. Sleepiness Is Depressing

6. Lack of Sleep Ages Your Skin

7. Sleepiness Makes You Forgetful

8. Losing Sleep Can Make You Gain Weight

9. Lack of Sleep May Increase Risk of Death

10. Sleep Loss Impairs Judgment, Especially About Sleep

Now in our verse above, God doesn’t promise us sleep. He’s not talking about sleep deprivation alone, but also our souls being deprived of rest.

Definition of REST

1: reposesleepspecifically : a bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities
2a : freedom from activity or labor
 : a state of motionlessness or inactivity
 : the repose of death
3: a place for resting or lodging
4: peace of mind or spirit
5a (1) : a rhythmic silence in music (2) : a character representing such a silence
 : a brief pause in reading
6: something used for support
God knows that sleep an rest are necessary for us to function properly, and He wants you to get that kind of rest. Again as we look at the definition of rest, we see so much more to the word than just sleeping or winding down at the end of the day. “The repose of death” is an interesting one. Only in Christ can we truly “rest in peace”, because it is through Jesus that we receive eternal life and know what our future holds. He has provided us with peace of mind about death by saving us through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection. I also like “a place for resting”. What a beautiful image that brings to my mind! I picture myself leaning on God, sleeping with my head upon His shoulder (does God get coyote arm?). Of course the “peace of mind or spirit” definition fits here as well. It is the last one that really rounds out the definition for me. “Something used for support” is a reminder that God is going to prop us up and help us face the difficult time in our lives. We’re never alone, we’ve always God Him behind us, propping us up with His Spirit.
What are you using for support?
 
 

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My God is…Nearby Jeremiah 23:23

Jeremiah 23:23-24 – “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.

Feeling alone

Have you ever felt alone? If you’ve ever gone to middle school, the answer is probably yes. It doesn’t really matter if we have people around us or not, we can still feel alone. We can walk into a room full of people we know and still feel lonely.

Definition of ALONE

1: separated from others : isolated

2: exclusive of anyone or anything else : only <she alone knows why>
3a : considered without reference to any other <the children alone would eat that much>
b : incomparableunique <alone among their contemporaries in this respect>
When we are alone, we feel separated from others. We feel excluded. We feel like we don’t belong. In the verse above (the ESV says at hand, the NIV says nearby), we see the term at hand. We read that the Lord is at hand or nearby.

Definition of at hand
1: near in time or place : within reach <use whatever ingredients are at hand>
2: currently receiving or deserving attention <the business at hand>

God is within reach
The definition of being “at hand” is being within reach. People often ask where was God when this or that happened. From this scripture, we see that he is within reach. I like to picture God walking beside me, always there for me. Sometimes He picks me up and carries me, other times He allows me to reach out for him. The second part of the definition of “at hand” is “currently receiving or deserving attention”. God is there, are we giving Him the attention He deserves.
What do you keep at hand? 
What do you keep closest to you? What do you like to have around you? Is it your home? Your family? Money? Your car? What won’t you leave behind in your home. Do you go back for your phone if you forget it? What must you have at hand? All of these things can be good, but God is “at hand” – deserving your attention. For me it’s important when my day starts to get stressed and I don’t think I’m going to get everything done, to remember to refocus my attention on God. He deserves my attention, and when I get bogged down with everything else, I can lose my direction and my reason for doing things if I’m not careful.
What’s getting your attention?
 

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