Come To Me

 

It was early in the fall of 2012 that I began receiving this scripture found in Matthew 11:28-30.  When I receive a scripture three times or more I pay attention because I know God is speaking to me, but during the fall of 2012 I received these words from God 23 times.  Twenty-three times in six weeks!  It was even to the point that early one morning I was watching TV and the Catholic Diocese had an ad that came on....the scripture they quoted?  Matthew 11:28-30. 

"Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens,

Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me;

 for I am gentle and humble in heart

and you will find rest for your souls. 

For my yoke is easy and my burden in light."

Matthew 11:28-30
 

It did not take long for me to realize that God was really serious in His message to me, so I began to stop resisting and began opening my heart to what he wanted to tell me about resting.  You see, REST was a four letter word to me.  Yes, I know it is only four letters long but you know what I mean.  I had spent the past 10 years forced by Lyme Disease to rest most of every single day.  I was homebound and isolated from the world, barely hanging on to life according to my doctors.  So when God opened my eyes to all He had and has for us, He placed me on an exciting journey in healing, and the last thing on my mind was resting. I was eager for complete healing, making every effort to have it!  Yet Jesus was telling me to rest in Him.  Rest.  I can remember responding like a child and saying, "No!!"  I do not want to rest. Yet I could not ignore the 23 times I received His Word on resting from 23 different sources  "come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest."  Rest for our souls.

What Jesus revealed to me was a different kind of rest than what I had been forced to endure.  This was more an entering into rest with Jesus.  (Thus the title of my blog now).  What I learned during that season of my life was that my striving for healing was not productive....it was controlling and came from a place of fear.  Jesus was speaking to me about trusting Him on my healing journey! We cannot rest with Jesus unless we trust in Jesus.  I needed to trust Him when He told me I would be well.  I needed to trust Him when He revealed that Jesus already paid the price for my healing....for all healing.  I began to speak it aloud.  "I trust you Jesus."  "I trust you when my circumstances di not line up with Your Word."  I needed to rest in His love for me, just staying calm, knowing that He would fulfill His promises.  He has and He is. 

During this time I learned something else.  There was beauty to be found in this resting, because there is beauty to be found in trusting in Jesus. Jesus is our Healer, our Savior, our Provider.  We can rely on His promises.  That is beautiful to behold! 

There are still times Jesus has to remind me to rest....to trust....and it is during those times I recall what Jesus promised.  "Come to me.....I will give you rest for your soul." 

I am linking up with Bonnie over at Faith Barista and writing on her prompt words, "moments of beauty and rest".