“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

— Matthew 11:28

Do you ever feel completely worn out? Health experts may advise remedies such as eating right, exercising regularly, and getting enough rest. To feel truly rested, many of us need seven to eight hours of sleep each night, and some of us may need even more. This is good advice, but sleep isn’t the only rest we need. Jesus offers us true rest.

Jesus promises a kind of spiritual rest unrecognized by the world’s physical health experts. As the Creator of the world and of all humanity, Jesus knows us. He knows our weaknesses, our brokenness, and our struggles. He knows what weighs us down and wearies our bodies and souls. He also knows exactly what kind of rest we need. No healthy sleep routine with adequate deep sleep, dream sleep, and light sleep will provide the spiritual rest we need. Only Jesus can provide the rest that reaches to the depths of our souls.

Jesus invites all who are exhausted—weighed down by the cares, obligations, stresses, and problems of life—to come to him. He invites us simply to ground ourselves in him and to follow him every day. Though Jesus doesn’t promise us an easy path, he assures us he is “gentle and humble in heart”—and only in and through him will we find true rest for our souls.

Jesus, our Savior and Lord, only in you can we find rest for our souls. Please provide the spiritual rest we need in you. Amen.