February 4, 2010
To the Beat of My noisy heart
Matthew 11:20-30
SarahBeth Jaqua
Central Truth
Jesus laid down His life for each of us, and now He calls us to find rest in the sufficiency of His death on the cross. We must release our desire to control our lives and receive the invitation to find rest in Him alone.
Key Verse | Matthew 11:28
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
Matthew 11:20-30
Woe to Unrepentant Cities
20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 1 11:26 Or for so it pleased you well 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Dive Deeper | Matthew 11:20-30
There's a song that talks about people going on and on to the beat of their noisy hearts. I relate to those lyrics and find it easy to have a noisy, restless soul. I can easily get caught up in the frantic pace of my heart and thoughts rather than trusting God and resting in Him. I know in my head that the Lord is ultimately the One who can provide rest for my soul, but in my heart I go on and on trying to control and plan everything.
Last fall, I got the flu. I couldn't get my fever down and missed a week of work. The last thing I wanted to do was rest because I knew there were tasks to be accomplished. As my husband, family, and friends tried to encourage me to slow down and rest, I struggled to find comfort from God and release my plan for the week. My whole life I have struggled with control. That week, the Lord wanted to remind me that even though I desperately want it, I will never have control over every circumstance in my life. I can’t find rest when I am in constant task mode and fail to surrender to Him.
I find it hard to allow my heart to get quiet. The Lord sweetly invites me to come to Him as the only One who can satisfy my needs. He desires that I respond to His truth instead of the roller coaster of my noisy heart. If I really believe Jesus is who He says He is, then my life should reflect this: "This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." (1 John 3:19-20, NIV)
It's been freeing to experience huge growth in this area and to find true rest in the Lord. I still have to fight off noisy thoughts, but the Lord continues to help me receive His gift of rest.
Discussion Questions
1. What are the things in your life that you are trying to control?
2. In what areas does the Lord want you to stop and find rest in Him today?
3. When you feel weary or heavy-laden, to whom or what do you tend to run?
4. Why do you think it is so difficult for us to find rest in Christ alone?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What burdens or problems do you have in your life? How can you give them to Jesus?