Wed., 7/1/15 Devotion (Matt. 11:28)

Today's encouragement comes from Matthew 11:28, where we read these words which fell from the Savior's lips:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Augustine's maxim is so true: "Our souls are restless until we find our rest in You [God]." Are our souls "on the move" today? Are they restless, ill at ease, and unsettled? If so, then we need to come to Jesus. Sin and life’s troubles cause our hearts to "move around," like planets in the night sky. Faith in Christ’s blood atonement causes them to rest, like stars in the firmament.

A soul at rest can pray to God, and can concentrate on what is truly import-ant. A person that is constantly restless can only do a lot of work, hoping to assuage guilt and worry. God only accepts hearts that come to Christ, and rest in Him.

[Puritan quote of the day: "This may be a great comfort to you: God does not expect you to root out all presence of sin, but only to keep down the reigning of sin in you.” —Christopher Love, in, "The Mortified Christian"]