Devotions

“You will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30, NKJV).

I know of only one way to enter into this rest that Jesus is talking about. If understood and appropriated, this truth will usher you into the most glorious peace possible on this side of heaven and end all feelings of insecurity.

This foundational truth upon which all others are built is the doctrine of justification by faith. It is the one doctrine you must understand if you hope to enter into the rest that Jesus offers.

I can only touch on the highlights of the magnificent truth of being justified by faith, yet I believe God desires to lead his church further into this divine truth. He wants to give us a foundational strength that will hold us in the days to come.

Sadly, when you mention the subject of doctrine, many Christians turn up their noses. They say, “I don’t want to hear all that deep, heavy stuff. Just give me Jesus!” Yet what they really mean is “I don’t want to discipline myself or spend the time to learn what Jesus did at the cross.”

Too many Christians become emotionally involved with the cross but never really study it. I have heard many preachers deliver emotional appeals about Jesus and the cross, about his beatings, the crown of thorns on his head, the spikes driven into his hands. The preaching of the cross is about much more than that, however. It is about the victory of the cross and what Jesus did for all of humankind.

Two things are involved in our justification by the cross of Jesus Christ: First, we have pardon for all our sins. When Jesus went to the cross, his blood pardoned us from all guilt. Second, we are accepted by God as righteous in Christ, through faith. This means God accepts us on the merits of what Jesus did on the cross and not because of our works or any good deeds.

For those who desire to “learn of him,” who want to understand Jesus’s wonderful work at the cross, justification by faith is how we enter into Christ’s rest.

Picture yourself standing before God's throne with no excuse or alibi. Satan, your legal adversary, is reading off the list of charges with times, places, every shameful detail. He makes accusations of pride, prayerlessness, covetousness, unfaithfulness, and your heart smites you because you have to admit, “Yes, that's me. I did it all.”

It looks hopeless for you. You know God's eyes are too holy to look upon sin, and his justice demands that you pay for your crimes against his holiness. You are helpless.

Suddenly, here comes your lawyer and advocate. He stretches forth his nail-scarred hands, and you know something is about to happen. He smiles and whispers, “Don't be afraid; none of these charges will stand. You're going to walk out of this courtroom free and fully pardoned. When I'm finished, your accuser won't have one charge left against you.”

Best of all, your lawyer tells you he has adopted you as his brother. Then he tells you he is the son of the judge, so you now belong to the judge's family as well!

There is still the matter of justice, though. What about the charges against you? You listen in absolute wonder as your advocate pleads your case: “Judge, you know that I fulfilled the law, living a sinless life. I took this person's place, taking on all the punishment for his crimes. Through these nail-scarred hands and my pierced side, blood came forth to blot out all of his transgressions. All these charges were put on my back, and I paid the penalty for every one of them.”

Your advocate then looks at your accuser and says, “Satan, you have no grounds to accuse my child. Each of his sins was placed on me, and I have fully pardoned them all. He is not guilty because his faith in the victory of my sacrifice gives him full pardon. You have no case!”

As the devil slinks out of God's court, you can hear the Lord cry out, “Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33, NKJV).

In Revelation, Jesus said to the church in Philadelphia, “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8, ESV). 

How many of you feel like you give and give, share and share? You probably have people coming to you hour after hour, phone call after phone call. Maybe it gets to the point where your strength feels like it’s gone and you have little power to give anything more. 

When you hit the end of your strength, perhaps you say to yourself, “Who gives to me?” 

Like in his letter to the Philadelphian church, Jesus answers, “I’ll give to you. Come to me, and spend time with me just to be with me.” His heart in this letter reminded me of when my oldest son was very young. We were walking through New York City, and it’s really loud there with cars, horns and sirens. Suddenly, he tugged my hand. I bent down so he could put his mouth to my ear. 

I thought he might have a question or a concern. Instead, he said into my ear, “Thank you, Daddy. You give me clothes and toys. But I wanted to tell you, Daddy, I love you just because of who you are.” 

A few days ago, I reminded my son, now a grown man, of that memory. We both were barely holding back tears. He’d forgotten that he’d said that, but I never forgot. That should be our heart for Jesus. That is the heart that he is longing for us to have. When we set ourselves to spend time with Jesus just because of who he is, he will restore our strength and set open doors before us that no one may shut. 

Jesus promised his disciples and those of us who would come centuries later, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). When you’re weary, tug on Jesus’s arm and tell him you love him. Spend time in his presence, and he will give you peace and strength. 

We all go through seasons of life, and sometimes we can point to a specific moment that marks a new period of life. Recently, I entered a new season. My father passed away, fairly abruptly, last year. Something fundamental in your world shifts when you lose a parent, regardless of what age you are. 

When God suddenly leads you into a new season that isn’t pleasant and you weren’t expecting, you probably catch yourself asking, “Why am I going through this? Why right now?” Or you might be somebody who says, “All right, God. How long do I have to grit my teeth and bear it before I get out of this?”

One of the most commonly quoted verses when Christians go through tough seasons is “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV). People often read or declare this verse with the assumption that God is going to rescue us from our season of grief or loss or suffering. Sometimes he does. More often he doesn’t. 

People often don’t know the context of that verse in Jeremiah. The prophet was writing to the exiles who had just witnessed their nation being sacked by Babylon. They fully expected God to rescue them and send them back home. Instead, Jeremiah heard this order from God for his people: “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. …multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:5-7).

What if suffering and discomfort play a part in God’s loving plan? Sometimes we struggle and get anxious as God gently directs us toward his good purposes. Trusting his sovereignty sounds all good and well until we have to reckon with the idea that pain may go hand-in-hand with his directions for our lives.

I wish I’d had more time with my Dad. 

I have to sit with my loss; but I seek the welfare of the places where God sends me. I trust the sovereignty of God to work in and through my grief in this new season. Whatever season you’re in, I hope you do too. 

^{John Bailey is the Vice President of World Challenge Inc. and the Founding Pastor of The Springs Church in Jacksonville, Florida. John has been serving the Lord in pastoral ministry for 35 years, ministering the gospel in over 50 nations, particularly as a pastor and evangelist in Cork, Ireland.}

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:28-29, NKJV). Christ tells us very plainly, “Do not attempt to take on a walk with me until you are at rest in your soul.”

If you do not have this wonderful confidence in what the Word of God says Jesus did for you, his yoke will not be easy or light. On the contrary, you will spend your time striving in the flesh to please God. You will go from hot to cold, living with unnecessary guilt and shame.

I believe the key to this verse lies in the words “learn from me.” Jesus is speaking here of the discipline of learning who he is and what he accomplished on the cross. He is saying, “You must have a knowledge of what I have done for you. Then, once your soul is at rest, you can take on my yoke. So learn from me!"

We do not want this kind of discipline. We want to take the easy way. We are like schoolchildren on the playground at recess who do not want to go back into the classroom.

Perhaps today, you say, “I’m reading my Bible now and praying a little each day. I'm trying hard to do better!” This is all good, but I assure you that these things will not keep you through the coming storm. It is not enough to try hard, to make promises to God, to strive to be better; nor is it enough to say, “I’m more diligent than before.” No, it is all about going after a revelation of what Jesus did for you at the cross.

Something should cry out in all of us, “Jesus, your Word says I can live in total rest, peace and security. I don't have to strive in my flesh or be tossed about by guilt or fear. You have set before me the promise of a life at rest, but I don't have that rest. Oh, Lord, I want your rest with everything that's in me. Teach me by your Spirit; I want to learn from you."