{"id":1839,"date":"2024-11-15T10:34:12","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T10:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/KP2\/?p=1839"},"modified":"2024-11-04T17:50:12","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T17:50:12","slug":"november-15-come-rest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/november-15-come-rest\/","title":{"rendered":"November 15, Come rest!"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Come to me,\u00a0all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.<\/strong> Matthew 28:30<\/p>\n\n

What an amazing invitation!\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Today, I offer two considerations from this well-known verse.\u00a0\u00a0(I am sure you will likely see some of yourself in these considerations).\u00a0\u00a0Tomorrow I will help you to see the challenge Jesus intended, and the amazing and necessary result of such a challenge.\u00a0\u00a0So, stay tuned.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Can you relate?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

In a 2012\u00a0\u201cStress in American\u201d<\/em>\u00a0study,\u00a0The American Psychological Association<\/em>\u00a0reported that one-half of Americans know how to anticipate the development of stress, but within that percentage only half know how to prevent stress.\u00a0\u00a0Doctors, psychologists, and even nutritionists and physical trainers have developed plans for coping and managing stress.\u00a0\u00a0Yet, many individuals remain unsuccessful at avoiding stress.<\/p>\n\n

One of the many times Jesus addressed the symptoms of this fallen world was when He invited us to know His rest despite the stress of life: \u201ccome to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Another translation interprets Jesus\u2019 words as, \u201ccome to me all who are heavy- laden.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Heavy-laden<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0Bent low under the weight.\u00a0\u00a0Loaded down with burdens.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

This is not at all what Jesus desires for you or me.\u00a0\u00a0This is not what living under His rule and reign should feel like.\u00a0\u00a0But, sadly, this becomes the experience for many followers of Jesus. So, if stress tends to get the best of you, or if you cannot seem to drop that heavy load, look closely at Jesus’ invitation for your life.<\/p>\n\n

\u00a0First, Consider this invitation from Jesus:\u00a0come to me<\/em>.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Jesus used this particular term, \u201ccome\u201d, some twelve times in the Gospels.\u00a0\u00a0And without exception, each usage expresses, \u201ccome and receive.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0This indicates that what is being offered can only be found in the one extending the invitation.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus has invited each of us to receive something that is not possible to have without Him.\u00a0\u00a0In the prior verse (v. 27), Jesus stated that no one can know Him unless He chooses to make Himself known.\u00a0\u00a0Then, in verse 28, Jesus reveals one way He chooses to make Himself known: through carrying our burdens.\u00a0\u00a0What an amazing revelation of the Son of God.\u00a0\u00a0And, how personal this revelation becomes for you and me.\u00a0\u00a0His invitation stands as real and personal for you at this very moment.\u00a0\u00a0He invites you to come to Him by faith with your burdens. With your stress.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Second,<\/strong>\u00a0consider the recipients aimed at with this life-changing invitation<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

\u00a0First, Jesus called\u00a0\u201call who are weary.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0This indicates one who is tired and exhausted, or labored-out.\u00a0\u00a0But in the present context, this laboring is tied to grief and worries.\u00a0\u00a0The term, \u201cweary\u201d is actually in a verb form, meaning one who works up to a place of weariness because of life\u2019s discouragements and challenges.Second, Jesus called\u00a0\u201call who are\u00a0burdened.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Jesus used this term in only one other place in the New Testament:\u00a0\u201cwoe to you experts of the law, you lay burdens on men, and then you do not lift one finger to fulfill these burdens yourselves.\u201d (Luke 11:46) The literal word picture of \u201cburdened\u201d intended by our Lord indicates something from the outside of your life (often times something you cannot control) being pressed in upon you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Personal Application<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Weary and heavy laden. Jesus emphasized the reality of our often-experienced stress, and He offered rest. REST. Jesus said come. Bring me your weariness and the burdens that tire you (emotionally and physically), and I will take what you bring me in exchange for my supernatural soul rest. Now how is that for a swap. What are you carrying at this moment that you need to hand to Jesus by faith? What sweet rest are you missing in your soul because you have not dropped your burden?<\/p>\n\n

Don’t just say you are laying the burdens down. That does absolutely no good. Literally hand the burdens to Him. And, this happens by faith as you daily surrender life’s weightiness to Him in sincere prayer. So, what are you waiting on? Start right now. Offer this prayer to God:<\/p>\n\n

“Father God, I admit that my burdens make me miserable because I am attempting this on my own. I find it difficult at times to release my burdens to you, and my faith grows weary. Teach me afresh and anew how to walk with you meaningfully every day. Teach me how to be yoked with you, your love, and your truths. Help me to abide in you. Grow my faith to do this, in Jesus name, Amen.”\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Now, having prayed, list your burdens. Write them out. Allow your eyes to see what your heart has carried for so long. Scribe out the burden and offer that burden to Jesus. He longs for you to give Him the weight of your life. Release the burden. And, walk forward free.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Blessings.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Come to me,\u00a0all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 28:30 What an amazing invitation!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Today, I offer two considerations from this well-known verse.\u00a0\u00a0(I am sure you will likely see some of yourself in these considerations).\u00a0\u00a0Tomorrow I will help you to see the challenge Jesus intended, and the amazing …<\/p>\n

November 15, Come rest!<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-todays"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1839"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3448,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839\/revisions\/3448"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}