A Bible Reading: Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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 is light."
A Thought
What is burdening you right now? What is making you weary after the last few weeks of lockdown? Maybe it’s the loneliness of self-isolation. Maybe it’s the weariness of caring for a vulnerable person. Maybe it’s the burden of juggling working at home with child-care and home schooling. Maybe it’s the fear for your health or the uncertainty of how it will all pan out. Or maybe it’s something else.
Whatever it is that is making you weary, whatever burden you are carrying, can you pause for a moment and place it in the hands of Jesus?
We are all created by God to enjoy a rhythm of work and rest, whether it is the rhythm of night and day, the rhythm of the seasons or the rhythm of work and Sabbath rest.
Where we are used to filling our days with busyness and noise, with work and socialising, lockdown might seem like an imposed Sabbath, and become a rhythm that can feel like a burden to us. But it can also be a gift, a time to look more deeply into our hopes and fears, our beliefs and our doubts, our dreams and our nightmares, and if we look there with Jesus we will find light rather than darkness, and a new rhythm of work and rest.
Read again Jesus’ words above and imagine them as an invitation to you personally.
What might Jesus be saying to you today?
You might like to listen to this:
A Prayer
Loving God, gentle and humble in heart, I accept your invitation and come to you with my burdens and with my weariness in life and in lockdown. Help me to find your rest and to learn from you during this time so that, when lockdown ends, the Sabbath rest may continue.
Amen.