Rest for Weary Souls

Reading: Matthew 11:25–30

Resting with Jesus

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

 and I will give you rest.” 

Matthew 11:28

Jesus speaks these words to people who are exhausted—not only in body, but in soul. Weary from striving, worrying, and trying to carry life on our own, we are invited not to a solution but to a Person. As William Barclay reminds us, the rest Jesus offers “is not the rest of inactivity, but the rest of inner strength and peace that comes when we accept His way and walk in it.” True rest begins when we stop resisting Christ’s invitation and entrust our lives to Him.

Jesus then calls us to learn from Him. This is not a summons to heavier effort, but to shared life. Richard Foster helps us see that rest is an act of faith—an “active trust,” where we place the full weight of our lives into God’s hands instead of clutching them ourselves. The yoke Jesus offers is gentle because it is carried with Him. He does not remove responsibility, but He transforms how we carry it.

In this way, rest and discipleship are not opposites. John Stott observed that Jesus invites us not merely to relief from toil, but into discipleship itself—and it is there, in learning from Him, that we “find rest for our souls.” The path may still be demanding, but it is no longer crushing. With Christ beside us, our burdens are borne in love, and our hearts learn a new rhythm of grace.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for inviting us to come to You when we are tired and weighed down. Teach us to trust You, to learn from You, and to rest in Your care. Amen.