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A Vacation Invitation from Jesus
By Rev. Greg Johnson
Matthew 11:28
Summertime means vacation time. Students get a vacation from school. Employees take vacation from work. Vacations indicate rest. The only problem is that these vacations are temporary. Students will go back to school and employees will go back to work. Rest ends.
I’m reminded of a rest today that does not have to end. Listen to these words of Jesus as He says (Matthew 11:28 NIV) ""Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Beloved, that is a vacation invitation from Jesus.
Are you tired, anxious and burdened? Jesus invites you to take a vacation in Him.
THE INVITATION
This time of year, a lot of graduation and wedding invitations are received. They are invites to come to a specific location. Only those that make an effort to go will be present to take part. In order to be there the recipient has to make an effort to get there; otherwise, they will be a no show.
Jesus’ invitation is to come to a specific location. The location is Him and unless we make an effort to come to Him, we will be a no show. How do we come to Jesus? We come to Jesus just as we are with all the baggage, all the burdens, all the weaknesses, all of the sinfulness…. Jesus doesn’t ask us to change before we get to Him or to come to Him as someone we are not. We are just simply asked to come to Him.
THOSE INVITED
Who is to come? Jesus said “all you who are weary and burdened.” Well, that would be me and I imagine that would be you. We are living in times that are tiresome and burdensome. There are rising gas prices, food costs and healthcare costs while pay does not keep up and employment is harder to find. There are terrorists, wars and rumors of wars. There’s violence and crime. There are earthquakes, fires, floods, tornados and cyclones. There are relationships and families to maintain. And there is work to put food on the table and pay the bills.
Beloved, we are living in tiresome and burdensome times and our external pressures are going to intensify as time continues, but Jesus gives us all a sweet invitation to come and vacation in Him! Hallelujah!
THE PROMISE
And if we come to Jesus we partake of the promised rest. It’s not like an ordinary vacation where we get to rest for limited amount of time and then have to go back to the grind. No, this is a supernatural vacation that does not end.
Beloved, in Jesus we are recipients of His rest. He gives His rest to us. He imparts His rest in us. It’s refreshing, it’s sustaining and it’s everlasting.
I went on a nine mile run yesterday. On any runs I do over 5 miles, I take with me a mixture of water and electrolytes. If I did not take these in during the run, I would be too spent to finish the run and could even be in danger of dying. The long runs get tiresome, but as I pace myself and take in the liquids, I’m refreshed so that I can finish the run and recover faster.
We are all running a race and we are to run our race to receive a prize. Our race is our journey from earth to glory and we get tired and burdened along the way. Jesus got tired on His journey. I’m reminded of Jesus sitting by a well, tired. A woman comes up and He asks her for a drink of water. A conversation takes place and Jesus says (John 4:13-14 NIV) "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, {14} but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Beloved, May we drink of the water Jesus gives. May we learn to rest in His grace and providence more and worry less. May we let Jesus teach us His way and how to find His rest. When we get so tired that we don’t think we can continue, may we find rest in Jesus.
Amen!
Know that you are loved,
Greg Johnson, www.GAJohnson.org
Founding Pastor, www.LovingGodFellowship.org
Loving God Fellowship is an interdenominational Christ following fellowship with a revolutionary new church plant in Salem, Oregon, and a worldwide Internet church community @ http://www.LGFinternetChurch.org .
