Rest

 Matthew 11:28 ESV

 Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

We might assume that if something is laborious and burdensome it's a bad thing. Yet God can bring good out of bad. Jesus himself will have laboured for much of his life as a carpenter, and was heavy laden with the cross on which he was crucified. 

For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame, and is now at the right hand of God the Father. When we find work hard and life gets heavy, we are to come to Jesus. If we do so, he promises to give us rest.

Jesus isn't just on about physical labour. He's hinting at being burdened by our sins. He doesn't want us dragging around our guilt and shame at our wrongdoing. He wants us to leave them at the foot of the cross.

When people think of religion, they think of laborious, burdensome rules. When we think of Jesus, we can consider the one through whom we can have a relationship with God. He didn't come to put heavy weights upon us; he came to give us spiritual rest.

'Dear Lord, we're so grateful for the spiritual rest we enjoy through faith in the you. Help us leave our worries with you. For your glory we pray, amen'.