Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you
who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28
A chair is a place of rest. It is a place to let go and find support as we rest from our work. When a person sits down in a chair, the entire body is permitted rest. We don't hold on to anything, we simply let go. So it is when we come to Christ. He promises rest. It is rest for the soul, which includes the mind, will and emotions. People came to Christ in New Testament days out of a sense of need. Our needs drive us to the Lord. The restless soul becomes sure evidence of our need to rest in the Lord.
Jesus dealt often with a legalistic group of religious people known as the Pharisees. They put great religious burdens on people. It was a religion of ceaseless works and a long list of rules. Jesus came to offer their victims rest. He didn't come to ad more rules. He didn't come to put more burdens on people. To the contrary, He came to finish the work of salvation for us, that we may rest in Him. When we come to Christ, we can let go of it all and depend upon Him for rest.
Are you restless because of burdens, problems, needs and distractions in your life? You may say, "I've tried so hard and nothing seems to work." Come to Christ by faith. Bring all of your failures, faults and problems. Let go of them. Give up on trying harder. Rest in Christ. Let Him establish your thoughts and speak to you through Scripture. There is rest for the restless. It's for all who rest in the Lord.
Lord Jesus, we come to You for rest.
