Life often has a way of wearing us down, doesn’t it?
Sometimes the weight of our circumstances—whether we’re dealing with loss, financial stress, health concerns, or relationship struggles—can feel overwhelming.
If you’re in a difficult season right now, we want you to know: there is hope in Jesus. Real, life-changing, energy-giving hope.
This month, we’re sharing Dr. Stanley’s insights on one of the Lord’s most comforting promises—His invitation to find true rest for our troubled souls.
When your heart feels heavy, your body grows weary, and your emotions leave you utterly drained—where do you turn?
All of us will experience seasons like this, when we feel hopeless, helpless, and deeply discouraged. These are moments when we wonder how much more we can take. I’ve been there, and probably you have, too.
My friend, at such times, don’t give up. God has a clear and practical answer, no matter what the trouble may be.
Jesus, the Son of God and sovereign of this universe, said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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” (Matt. 11:28-30).
You may think you’ve tried to rely on these words before and were left as troubled as ever. But God doesn’t offer solutions that don’t work. So how do we take our deepest burdens to the Lord and find the relief we so desperately need?
First, accept the invitation.
Jesus says, “Come to Me” (v. 28).
Tell Him in prayer about your burden: “Lord, here’s how I’m hurting. Here’s the reason I feel so weighed down.” It doesn’t matter what the problem is. If you’re emotionally drained, weary, sorrowful, angry, or weighed down by sin, Jesus is “gentle and humble in heart” and He will receive you with kindness (v. 29).
Second, give Him your burden.
Acknowledge that you can’t handle the problem, and you’re turning it over to Him. Now, we often think we’ve done this, but we just pick the burden right back up again. We might do this a thousand times yet still hold on. If this is happening, it’s because we remain focused on the burden and not on Jesus.
Examine your prayers: How much time do you spend expressing your despair versus praising God for His power, faithfulness, and love? Then change your focus—from the burden to the burden-bearer.
God placed reminders throughout His Word to help us with this surrender:
He wants to handle our burdens (1 Pet. 5:6-7).
He will sustain us through them (Ps. 55:22).
He does not disappear on us but continues His aid daily (Ps. 68:19).
Keep recalling such verses until you believe you can cast “all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you” (1 Pet. 5:7).
Third, follow Him earnestly.
“Take My yoke upon you” (Matt. 11:29).
Jesus doesn’t remove all yokes; He exchanges our burdensome one for His “easy” one (v. 30).
And His yoke is simply this: that we submit to Him and walk in obedience—out of gratitude and joy, enabled by the Holy Spirit. Bringing a dire situation to the Lord doesn’t always mean it will disappear.
He says, “learn from Me” (v. 29); sometimes He will teach us how to live in the burden without being worn down by it.
Finally, what can we expect?
When we do all this, we’ll “find rest for [our] souls” (v. 29).
With His yoke, what we’re walking through will begin to feel “comfortable” because His burden is “light” (v. 30).
Soon we’ll be able to walk with a sense of confidence that God is in control, knowing that He’ll work out the circumstances in His time and in His perfect way.
No matter what you're facing, or how long you’ve faced it, no matter how heavy it is and how awful it makes you feel—Jesus is sufficient and adequate to sustain you, strengthen you, and to remove that awful weight from your shoulders. That’s His promise.
We’re grateful for Dr. Stanley’s reminder that Jesus’ promise of rest isn’t just for the future; it’s available to us right now.
No matter how heavy our situation, it can’t disqualify us from God’s love or care. In fact, it’s precisely in these moments that the precious quality of His invitation becomes most clear.
You don’t need to have things figured out before you come to Him, and you never have to carry your burdens alone.
Till next time, God bless you.
For His glory,
Your friends at In Touch Ministries