“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
All are invited, the call being a gentle and simple word, “Come”. Everyone is welcome, everyone is included. Fullness of life always awaits in Jesus alone. He is the One who brings genuine satisfaction to a life. Sufficiency. Completeness. I am reminded of the Prophet Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 55:1-2 (NIV): “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. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”
Jesus always has His Hands held out wooing, bidding us to come to Him – like a mother teaching her small child to walk – He is ahead of us, calling us to “follow Me”. He goes before us, paving our ways and our paths. “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight,” the wise man writes in Proverbs 3:6 (NIV). His heart is for you and not against you and He desires for each of us a time ripened settling of soul into the assurances of His great love and tenderness and compassion – for each one of us. Nothing ever takes the Lord Jesus by surprise as He makes known the end from the beginning – from ancient times what is yet to come. He gives the call and patiently waits. Again, the blessings of God are available without cost. Salvation is a free gift from the hand of God. By coming we demonstrate our trust in Him – relying upon Him for our salvation and agreeing to walk in obedience to His revealed will – knowing His ways are for our very best. He becomes the Lord of our lives. We no longer remain on the throne. Remember, He always has our very best interest at heart – even in the hard. And he uses everything allowed to conform us into the image of His Son. His desire is for us to walk as Jesus did and He gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this great task.
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less. The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. John 3:29-31 (NIV)