10/08/2025
Here are a couple of questions for us to ponder today... do we hear Jesus calling us, and if so, are we prepared to come to Him when He beckons? As disciples we should be listening to His voice and always ready to go to Him... he gives us much more than something to do… He gives us rest.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 ESV
This particular verse in Matthew is incredibly comforting, but the opening three words tell us that we have a role to play in receiving this blessing. Jesus will give us rest, but we must come to Him to receive it. The rest which Jesus Christ speaks of giving us is a promise to those who hear His voice, but when we hear Him call “Come to me”, our part is to go to Him, or to wherever He is sending us.
Sometimes answering the call of Jesus is a physical thing and we must go to a certain place, but most of the time He is asking us to meet Him at a spiritual location where He will lift our load. It might be a quiet stretch along the road of faith we travel, a perplexing crossroads, or on some occasions He will take the load as we reach Him in the midst of horrendous traffic and confusion. Whatever the situation dictates He will be there calling to us and comforting us.
My father was a man who taught me a great deal about life and how to maneuver through it. His advice was always pertinent to whatever situation I found myself in, or job that I was facing, but he did something that always perplexed me as a young man... he made me ask for help. He wouldn’t just bail me out or step into a situation, I had to come to Him and ask for his help.
One afternoon I had a car problem. I needed the car to go to school and work the next day, but it wouldn’t run. I studied the situation and finally concluded that I would need to replace all of the spark plugs, wires, distributor points and cap, and set the timing. This was no small job, and I had never done it before, but I had to get my car running... so I went to Him, explained what I was thinking, and after listening to me he told me that was right he let me borrow his car to go get the parts.
All afternoon I worked on my car. I would look up to see him standing in the window watching me as I worked in the driveway, but he didn’t just come out and take over. When I would hit the limit of my knowledge I would go to Him, and he would tell me how to do whatever it was. Today I would use google and YouTube, but there was something very special about his advice... it was personal and offered out of Love.
Finally, I had everything installed and it was time for the moment of truth. I needed to start the car. I turned the key, the engine turned over, but it just wouldn’t start. I was at the end of my rope, and yet there he was... still standing in the window watching. So, out of frustration I went into the house and asked if he could help me... “Can you come take a look at this?” At that he came outside and following a small turn of the distributor, he said try it again. The car started right up, and with the help of a timing light we had the car purring like a kitten.
My father was a wealth of information on almost every situation that I found myself in; automobiles, Love, relationships, work... you name it, but I had to come to him.
Jesus requires that we come to Him too. He knows that we don’t grow if He just steps in and makes life easy for us. If our faith were a house we would refer to this as sweat equity. We do what we can and then when we have reached the end of our rope we call the plumber or the handyman... spiritually we call Jesus or kneel before the Lord. In the end we have learned from our experience and the value of our faith, and our spiritual house, will have increased as a result.
There are certainly times when Jesus calls to us before we think we need Him, but those are typically dangerous times. Had I been wearing a tie while working on my car, my father would have rushed to the door and emphatically called me to him. He would have explained that my tie could get caught in the fan belt and that I would be pulled into the engine, and quite possibly killed. But for the most part he let me face my challenges, learn, and come to him as needed.
Are you at a place where you need to go to Jesus? Are you hearing Him calling “Come to me”? He can lighten your load and give you rest. He can relieve the stress that is giving you ulcers or other physical problems. He can fix the relationship with your spouse, child, or others, that is worrying you and destroying your family or friendship. And just maybe He will take you out of situations that are dangerous and that might harm you beyond repair. In the end however, He will give you rest.
So, let’s listen to his voice today, look for Him in the window, and then go to Him.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who gives me rest. I thank you for calling me, being there, and allowing me to come to you. So many times, Father, I hear you voice, and in my belligerence I choose not to answer your call. In such times I push myself beyond my own ability and bring harm to others and to me. Help me Lord to be humble before you. Help me to be obedient when you call. Give me the wisdom to know when I should seek you fervently in prayer or run to you for defense. Protect me when I am in danger and give me peace and rest as you help me. You calm my spirit, and give me your perfect peace in times of turmoil, and you take my burden when it becomes too heavy for me to bear. Thank you for your loving kindness, and the help you provide me every day... help me today and give me rest from the things that weary me. Holy, Holy, Holy are you my God, and Holy is your Son Jesus Christ who calls my name and intercedes for me before you. Help me Father in my unbelief and in those times when I hear your voice, or the voice of Jesus, and hesitate to answer or come as I should. Use my desire to know you better as a means of teaching me to seek you out and ask you for those things that challenge or perplex me. Praised be your name and the name of Jesus for you are with me always and comfort me in the midst of every trial, trouble, or storm in my life. In answering your call I humble myself before you and give you all the glory for seeing me through to safety and righteousness. I call you Father, Abba, and your son Savior. I find it comforting when I look from my life here on earth and see you standing in the window of my faith, watching and waiting for me to come to you.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! And Amen!
Rich Forbes