It all started on a Wednesday afternoon in early April 2014…
That particular season was one of the busiest seasons of my life. At that time, Wednesday mornings were usually spent at home with the kids while my wife went grocery shopping, and Wednesday afternoons were dedicated to prayer. I was in a season fraught with anxiety. There were so many questions that needed answering and few answers to go around. If you asked me today, I couldn’t tell you what seemed to be of paramount importance then, but at the time it felt like life or death. My mind was unfocused, I was irritable and angry – quick to fly off the handle, and my nights were spent tossing with my thoughts in what seemed like an endless stream of consciousness.
I felt like I was drowning.
The apostle Peter told us very simply to cast our anxieties upon Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7), but clearly, I didn’t understand how to do that.
That afternoon, I headed downstairs to my home office/guest room to worship and pray. Rather than focusing on Jesus and His goodness, my focus was on getting answers. I pressed and strained to hear God. Like Jacob, I was not letting go until God blessed me! I was striving, but instead of finding peace, my heart and mind became increasingly anxious. My thoughts began to turn inward: Maybe I’m outside of the will of God. Do I have unconfessed sin? Am I living outside the borders of grace in some area of my life? Am I doing things Christ hasn’t asked me to do and reaping the consequences? Whatever it is, please show me Lord! As the tension built, something Jesus said flooded my soul:
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT)
At that very moment, the singers on the live web stream from the International House of Prayer began singing that exact verse of Scripture!
Rest Is to Be Received
In that moment, God’s voice broke through the swirling chaos, and He said something to me that I will never forget,
“You don’t have to understand everything happening around you in order to receive My rest.”
You see, rest is a gift to be received.
Immediately, I laid down on the bed and simply began to receive from Jesus – His life, His love, His peace, His grace, and yes, His rest! My heart was instantly refreshed, burdens were lifted, anxieties ceased, and Jesus filled my soul with what I was longing for…true rest and peace!
True rest comes when we strive less and receive more from God.
I once heard Leif Hetland say, “We live from God not for God.” In the same way, it could be said, “We live from God’s rest not for God’s rest.” You can have rest without understanding everything that’s going on in your life…if you receive it! Put your agenda to the side and seek Him for who He is.
Jesus gives true rest.
When we seek Him for who He is, with no other agenda, things begin to come clear, but striving for answers often leads to frustration. Although you may not receive the answer you feel you need at the moment (in my experience it doesn’t usually happen that way), God gives us what we really need – Himself!
Selah
Try taking on a new posture – one of receiving. It may seem foreign to you, or selfish, but try it anyway. Right now, take a few minutes to lay aside your agenda and simply receive from Jesus with a childlike heart. Receive His love, His grace, His strength and anything else you need, just ask Him. Jesus has given us a standing invitation, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Can you hear it?
