In Matthew 11 Jesus said: 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The word weary in this invitation takes us right back to Genesis 3 and the first act of rebellion against God. God and man walked in perfect communion and trust. But as soon as they rejected God’s command, they felt themselves naked, exposed, weary and burdened. God knew their act and their condition. Instead of turning away, He came to them. He bridged the divide and came to them. And then He gave the invitation – Where are you? Come to me. In his great compassion He removed the scratchy fig leaves they had tried to sew together, killed animals and clothed them in the skins.
Through the ages God is calling to his wayward people: Come to me!
Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us reason together.” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” The problem of judgement is solved, if only we would come to Him, talk to Him.
“Just as I am, without one plea – But that Thy blood was shed for me,
and that You bid me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come.” (hymn written by Charlotte Elliott in 1835)
Isaiah 55:1 – 2 – “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money come buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. 6Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
John 7:37 – 38 – “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
Our deepest need is our hunger and thirst for God. And He says: Come! Come and listen to me, hear me, that your soul may live. Are you weary from fighting with life, with yourself, with your troubles? Come to Him, listen to Him. Believe in Him, and streams of living water will flow from within you.
Jeremiah 29:13 – ‘When you search for me, then you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart. 14And I will let myself be found by you,’ declares the Lord”.
A more accurate translation of verse 14 says: You will find me accessible / approachable. Like with Adam and Eve, God comes close to us when we need to find Him – He makes himself available, approachable. All we have to do, is turn away from that which burdens and wearies us, turn away from our guilt and failure, and call out. We will find, like Adam and Eve, that He is right there.
And when we face Him, and talk to Him, we might find that He was the one who led our way into the desert, the valley of Trouble, as we read in the book of the prophet Hosea:
Hosea 2:14 – 15 – “I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and I will make the valley of Achor (Trouble) a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth …”
So, dear child of God, seek Him in your desert journey, in your valley of Trouble, and you will find Him. He will speak tenderly to you and give you back what the locusts have eaten. There He will open before you a door of hope, and you will sing like you sang when He first gave you eternal life.
Father God, I need you. I am weary, lonely and burdened. Let me find you, speak to me tenderly and open before me a door of hope, as you promised. I love you.
Elzeth Malherbe