Weariness is certainly no stranger to a parent whose child is wide-awake in the middle of the night. That is why the book, Go the ____ to Sleep, has been such an instant retail success. It is currently number two on the Amazon best-selling book list. For a Christian, however, recognizing weariness should bring great hope. Why? Because Jesus says “Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
The last several posts have attempted to demonstrate that God’s control extends to every area of life. His purpose for the difficulties we face is that we would draw closer to him and know his help and intimacy in the middle of the trial. This includes dealing with a wide-awake child deep into the night, for as long as it takes. God is the God of seemingly small things as well as what we call the big things. It almost seems unimaginable that the Lord of the Universe would care to be involved with weary parents and wide-awake children. But, in fact, this is exactly the case! Look again at Matthew 11:28-30:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The God who sustains the universe by his mighty power also cares for you when the rest of the universe seems light years away, as you stand bewildered in your child’s bedroom. Do not disconnect your weary moment from the rest of your life. God is there for all of it. The previous posts have attempted to help you make that connection biblically.
The truth that you will never hear on the 6 p.m. news is that since the Fall, life itself will make you weary; Every other reason under the sun will be given to explain why you are weary. But the one reason that really matters is lost in political correctness—your weariness is part of the impact of sin and the resulting curse. The truth is that successes are muted by failures. Happiness is often quickly followed by sorrow. Good days and bad days intermingle. Sin reaches deep into our lives and into our souls. Through all of this Jesus says to come to him and he will give you rest. He is not speaking only of heaven, the ultimate rest, in this passage. Christ is speaking of knowing him in the weariness of everyday life. Right now!
Jesus makes this audacious—and yet wonderful promise—I will give you rest! May God give us the courage to believe it in the middle of the night, with a crying baby.
Pray that God will give you rest. Pray you will see the sufficiency of your savior’s love through his word in all that you do. This is what Psalm 19 teaches:
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
As Moses says, “These words are not idle words. They are your life.” Connect all the dots of your life to loving and honoring Christ and his Word. Jesus will bring rest to your weary soul. Believing this will bless you. And it will bring rest to your children!
Thank you for your interest in the blog and in this series. Let us know your thoughts. Thanks again to Laney for sharing her thoughts.