Fields United Methodist Church

Day 29. Take Time to Be Holy

May 4, 2020

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

Read: Matthew 11:25-30

No matter where we find ourselves during this time of pandemic, life can be a challenge. Working from home, laid off, furloughed, the feeling of not being able to leave home, or just feeling overwhelmed by our present circumstances that seem to define life these days. After graduating high school, I took a job unloading beef; I loved the hard work, the heavy lifting, and the people I was working with but by the end of a twelve plus hour day, I was exhausted from unloading thousands of pounds of meat. When I got home, I melted in my chair and just felt every muscle in my body relax. God knows life is not always easy and at times we are exhausted, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is the chair at the end of a long day; a calm after the storm.  Sometimes we need to know where to turn when we need help, and our help comes in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. So how does Jesus give you rest? Maybe he works through the lives that have been put along your path. Maybe it is the church that reaches out in prayer, friendship, and compassion. Jesus works through the lives of others to offer us “rest.” Have you ever noticed that when you slow down long enough and set aside your worries  even for a short time, there is a sense of the presence of God embracing you?   It is time to stop, turn to the one who neither slumbers nor sleeps, the one who promises to be with you even to the end of the age. Take Jesus up on his invitation as he offers you, especially you, rest for your weary soul. It doesn’t matter who you are or the circumstances that you find yourself, Jesus is offering the “essential service” of salvation from the burdens of the day and the baggage that we all seem to accumulate in our souls. If you have not already heard, you are loved and you are invited to see and experience life in a wholly different way; where there is rest, and where there is hope, and where there is peace.

How do you take time during the day to connect with Jesus?

What is keeping you from fully trusting Jesus with your “burdens?”

Prayer: Jesus, I need you more now than ever. So many lives are so heavily burdened and at times I feel burdened. Lighten my load, dear Lord and help me accept your invitation and live life fully trusting you. Amen