How could you find rest? How should you cope with all kinds of difficulties and discouraging circumstances? Jesus says: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Rest for your soul
Jesus says: “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. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). What was Jesus’ yoke and burden? It was doing the will of the Father. If we are wholeheartedly ready to live according to God’s standards and to do His will, we will experience this rest that Jesus promises. Only there is real rest to be found. It might be that we are willing to do God’s will in everything – except one area of our lives. Then there is an inner division in our hearts, which will be used by God’s adversary. The result will be that we don’t experience real peace and rest in our lives.
Father and son
What this will of God is, is revealed to us by Jesus. During all of His earthly life, He revealed His Father. With this purpose, God had lovingly sent Him into this world, for only He could reveal the Father. Jesus speaks about His relationship with His Father: “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27). If you want to know the Father and His will, you should get to know Him through the Son’s revelation. We can experience God’s fatherhood in our lives, if we – just like Jesus – do the will of the Father.
Battle
We should not be surprised if we have to fight continually against the evil powers, against the ruler of this world, about whom Jesus speaks in John 14:30 and John 16:11. The good news is that God has given us everything we need in order to stand firm in this battle – see Ephesians 6:13-18. One of our weapons is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Jesus used it when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Three times over, Jesus responded to His temptations by quoting the Scriptures: “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4-11, Luke 4:4-10).
Use the Word of God to find rest
One of the most important offensive weapons is God’s Word, since He is the truth (John 14:6). If we want to walk in his truth, it is absolutely necessary to know the Bible. Otherwise we could be harmed in this battle, which will only worsen as the end of times draws near. In 2 Thessalonians 2:10, Paul warns against all forms of deception and deviation of people who refused to love the truth. Compromising God’s Word in this battle is very dangerous.
God shows the way to rest
God is a loving heavenly Father for His children who are wholeheartedly willing to follow His instructions. We can ask for the help of the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). That way, we are safe – even amidst storms and turbulence. That way, we can experience rest.