Coveting Rest
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”
All of us want rest.
If you are born again, you know intellectually that Jesus's words are true.
If you are anything like me though, you are weary and burdened and you have seeked that rest but have not found it.
You know without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is telling the truth. You know He will give you rest.
So why do you not have it?
Is it that you haven't figured out the method to obtain it?
Is it that you keep messing up and He is withholding it from you?
Is it that you havent prayed hard enough, sang praises loud enough, gave enough or read your bible enough?
If you are like me, you find yourself in a constant cycle of wanting rest, seeking it out, and ending up MORE exhausted when you fail to find it.
It could be that you are coveting rest.
Covet: To desire or wish for, with eagerness; to desire earnestly to obtain or possess.
Jesus WANTS us to have peace...
He died on the cross for us!
He has the ABILITY to give us peace
He holds the keys to life and the grave!
The problem is that when we covet rest we walk right past Jesus, who is holding rest in His hand, ready and eager to give it.
We walk right past Him and we look and we look and we find nothing.
We sing songs about Him and He shows up and we walk right past Him looking for rest.
We read our bible and He shows up and we walk right past Him looking for rest.
We do good deeds and He shows up and we walk right past Him looking for rest.
We covet rest.
Jesus did not say, "Come to me when you are weary and burdened, and you will find rest."
He said "Come to me when you are weary and burdened and I will GIVE you rest.
Rest is not something you are owed because it is not something you earn.
Rest is not something you deserve...
Rest is a possession of God.
He gives it when and where He chooses.
The Good news is this: We serve a suffering God.
We serve a God who has gone through the trials we have gone through and who can truly sympathize.
We serve a God who TRULY loves us... unconditionally. He proved it when He willingly bled and died on a cross for you.
We serve a God who is not limited in any capacity.
If He wants to give you rest... no one can hold back His hand. No circumstance can overcome Him.
Rest is a possession of God and we serve a good and gracious God!
Go to Him!
Don't go to rest!
Search for rest...
Search day and night.
Go to the highest mountain or the lowest depth.
Search every corner of the earth.
Search your flesh.
Search all of human wisdom.
Search all of the pleasures of this world.
You will not find rest.
Search for God...
Jeremiah 29:13 "If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me."
Deuteronomy 4:29 "You will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him."
Psalm 145:18 "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth."
You won't have to look very hard.