February 8, 2021: ‘I Will Give You Rest’

January 26, 2021 ∙ by hdecena ∙ in Year of the Bible, Potomac Conference

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28, NASB).

When our adult sons were young boys, I remember telling my mother, “This mother thing is not that hard.”

I still remember her answer: “The bigger the boys get, the bigger the problems get.”

My mother was right. We love our boys and are blessed to be their parents. But the truth is, at times, being a parent can be hard and stressful. As a family, we’ve had both amazing and troubled times. Over the years, my husband and I learned that prayer is crucial not only to marriage, but parenting as well.

Initially, the reason I claimed that Matthew 11:28 was my favorite Bible verse was because both of our boys were “embedded” in the text: Matthew, the name of our eldest son, and 11:28, the birthday of our younger son, Andrew. But as time passed, my Bible study deepened, and I soon realized there was a much stronger reason this verse should be my favorite.

In this verse, I found one of the most amazing promises from Jesus that I so desperately needed. The invitation to bring Him my worries, anxieties and troubles in exchange for His rest—true rest that can only be found in Him—was unbelievable. After many years of silently carrying my burdens, I made the decision to take Jesus up on His offer. What a verse and what a promise. I have learned that I need this rest daily. Maybe you do too.

Dear God, we are tired and heavy-laden for many different reasons. Thank You for being willing and able to take on our burdens daily and for gifting us with Your rest. Amen.

Hazel R. Marroquin is the pastor for Children and Family Ministries at the Sligo church in Maryland.

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