What If The New Year Brought Rest?
As a new year dawns, so many of us begin to make plans. New plans that we anticipate will help us get stronger, healthier, maybe more focused and better organized. We feel energized by our new plans and our preparations. There is something exciting about a fresh start after the craziness of the holiday season, and of course, the abundance of delicious snacks and desserts on repeat!
As much as January seems like a brand-new start, I do not really make New Year’s Resolutions any more. Too many failed attempts have taught me that my desires have to be followed by a committed focus and practice or they will simply be lost to my best intentions. However, I do make plans throughout the year, trying to accomplish a new level of achievement in any matter of areas of my life from fitness to time management to growing spiritually. My desire to strive for more comes at various times and in various seasons. I would suspect many of us can relate to that. However, the desire to begin again hits hard as a we see a fresh year laid out before us.
As I was thinking about this devotion, the Lord brought Matthew 11:28 to my mind. It is the words of Jesus and He says, “‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’” It may seem like kind of a strange pick for a New Year’s devotional, but I think it is exactly the comfort and hope we need as we begin a new year.
When we are making plans and preparations, we are focusing on all we need to do. Even with the greatest intentions, we can wear ourselves out with our good plans before we even get started on them! Jesus gives us a different recipe. He tells us to come to Him. Instead of becoming weary and burdened by our own plans, depending on ourselves and making our own plans work out, He offers us something better. He offers us rest.
In this verse, Jesus is calling us to Himself for salvation, and He is also offering rest that comes from a life hidden in Him. In the next two verses, He goes onto say, “‘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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’” (Matthew 11:29-30).
When we are yoked with Him, He walks with us. When we are yoked with Him, we walk in step with Him. Verse 29 tells us we can learn from Him. In His gentleness and humility, He teaches us to follow Him. He is faithful to lead, and we can rest in His good instruction. His yoke is easy and His burden light, so being yoked with Him is not burdensome, but instead, brings help and lightens our load. If we trust in Him, He will guide us and teach us how to live for Him.
As we consider all that a new year brings, let us find rest in Jesus, knowing salvation is in Him. Knowing He is faithful to His word, faithful to lead us, and faithful to teach us His ways.
“‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’” What a promise.
-Jennifer
