It's been awhile readers. A year ago I stopped making blog posts and I went out on my own. As I look back on the blog I saw some really cool things that God had been working in. God has worked in amazing ways this past year, but I come today to share a message about vision.
The passage we will be following today is Matthew 11:25-30.
It reads:
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
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.”
There are a couple takeaways from this, the theme being the title of this post: Coming Back.
The first is Jesus thanking the Lord for the way that He reveals himself. I do not feel that Jesus is bashing the wise and learned or saying that it is wrong to be wise and learned but rather highlighting the accepting nature of little children. So often as we grow older we become less accepting. I know for instance that I might be one of the worst people to try to give advice too, because often if I disagree with the advice I shut people out. Children do not turn away though, they accept the love and instruction from God that is needed. All of it. What could happen if we let go of inhibitions and just really wrapped ourselves in all that God offers us. I guess the challenging part is would it feel freeing or convicting?
In verse 27 we see a really cool example of relationship with Jesus. You see Jesus doesn't ever just say something and then not give us an example to follow. He says that all things have been committed to Him by the Father, and that no one knows the Father except the Son and vice versa. This is where the conviction part kicks me in the gut. I think the reason sometimes we find it difficult to feel the Father's love because we try to bypass the middle man. We think that a relationship with Jesus doesn't need substance or effort poured into it. We want the savior without the work.
So we know the reason to come back, but when I feel like I'm so far away sometimes how do I get back? This is where Jesus doesn't leave us out to dry, the message of hope. In verses 28-30 Jesus just calls us back to Him. He offers us rest with Him. He offers a love that is easy and peaceful if we just meet Him. Just by calling on Him and admitting we don't have it all together without Him.
I will close this out with a story. The picture posted is a hiker because that has been one of the moments that I have felt most like coming back in life (that is not me). My senior year of high school I hiked a small portion of the Appalachian Trail with fellow senior class officers. We had a tremendous time and saw some incredible things but there is one thing that you miss when you are out there, the comfort of home. Sure your bed is nice and air conditioning feels great, but it is coming back into the family that is proud to have you is what you crave. I chose to go into the woods, and it gave me plenty of time to plan and reflect. I knew though that at the end of the trip my family would be overjoyed to see me again.
If this is the love that we feel from our earthly parents, how much more welcome will we feel from our Heavenly family?
Thank you for reading.
