BENEFITS OF DIVINE INTIMACY (6)

“COME to ME, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST” – Matthew 11:29

Finding Rest for our souls is key among the BENEFITS of DIVINE INTIMACY: “COME to ME, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST for your souls” (Matt.11:28-29). What a glorious invitation! God's Son bids us to come to Him and be loved as His treasured possession. He calls the weary, exhausted, anxious, and trouble, to transit from Stress to Rest! An Invitation to Divine Intimacy is an Invitation to Divine Rest.

For every weary soul, here are Five Steps to Finding Divine Rest:

Come to Jesus: If we want divine rest, we must come, excitedly and urgently. Jesus’ Hand is extended in open invitation. He speaks not of a formula for finding rest, carving out a specific day of rest, or quitting jobs to become hermits. He personally intends to rest us from within. He calls us to come into His Presence and find the Rest our souls so urgently need. We must press in intimately to FIND the Rest He offers!

Cast Burdens: We must be ready to give up our burdens – Unburden! “Laden” means to “load up with, put heaviness on, overload with anxiety.” Even in spiritual service, we can become laden with anxiety. We might have started out with good intentions, but along the way, allowed our relationship with Jesus to become more of a burden than a blessing. It’s time to surrender our burdens to God: “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1Pet.5:7). Let’s rekindle the Joy in serving God; the excitement in assimilating His Word.

Take Yoke: Many a time when we wonder why help doesn't come our way, it’s because we do not take the Lord's prescription. We must respond to the invitation to take the yoke of Jesus and put it on us, to keep us from wandering off in our direction. This yoke is an opportunity rather than a threat. Like it is with marriage, the yoke is liberating, not constraining or restraining!

Learn: “...learn from Me.” This refers to the constant lessons that the Lord gives to us. Truths must be learned and applied to our lives. We are to follow the pattern of Jesus in gentleness and humility. The most restful place is by the side of our loving Savior.

Rest: To rest in God is to remain calm in His Presence even when the storms of life are raging all around us. We should never feel guilty when we need to rest. The Lord Jesus will allow us to rest when we need to. Let’s set aside seasons and moments of calm and quiet to rest!

Five simple commands: Come, Cast, Take, Learn, and Rest. Divine Rest is promised to whosoever will come into Intimacy!