“Cast all your cares on Him. For He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
An Invitation to Rest
Once your Bible and journal are open, you are in a sacred space. Prepare yourself to delight in God, knowing that He delights in you.
If you already keep a regular quiet time, you know the gift of solitude. If not, the blank page and stillness may feel unnatural at first. Wrestle your mind and wait on the Lord, because the fruits are worth the effort. Solitude brings peace and clarity. It invites rest to your soul, like an exhale of stress and an inhale of gratitude and strength.
Bring a Bible, a pen and paper, then hide your phone. Scripture is a springboard for the Holy Spirit to speak to you. When you read the Bible, a line may stand out to you. Copy it, then write out your thoughts like a letter to God. Your blank page provides a place for God to reveal beautiful truths to you directly. You may hear Him whisper a response. Write that down too. Sometimes this process feels like a peaceful release and sometimes it is more like blessed wrestling.
Journal Entry Starter
Read Matthew 11:27-30.
Jesus’ offer might seem confusing. Maybe you wonder, “Isn’t a yoke a burden? I already carry plenty of burdens, so how can Jesus setting yet another yoke on my shoulders give me rest?” But, truly, many of us are shouldering burdens that God never intended us to carry. We bear worry, regret, blame, perfectionism, jealousy, fear, self-pity, judgement, anger, unforgiveness, self-deprecating thoughts and more. Many of our struggles boil down to these basic words. We may carry them for decades without noticing or we may hold them tightly as if they were helpful to us. Satan wields these yokes like weapons, but Jesus offers to crush them. Jesus wants to lift those stacked-up burdens off your shoulders and replace them with His one light yoke.
In Psalm 55:22, David writes, “Cast your burdens on the Lord and He will take care of you.” Today, ask God to show you what yokes He wants to help you lay aside. List any He brings to your mind and begin the process of releasing them to Him. Without these yokes weighing you down, Jesus can give His rest to your soul.
Additional Scripture Readings: Psalm 131, Psalm 63, Psalm 27
