The NIV 365 Day Devotional

True Rest for Our Souls

Jesus invites all humanity to worship him in full trust and obedience. As we do, we will discover true rest for our souls. This invitation goes out to everyone equally, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, education, social class or cultural background. Jesus invites all weary people everywhere to experience the peace that comes from obedience to his voice (Mt 11:28).

Spoken nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus’ words land on our modern ears like fresh rain on the desert floor. Our world is more noise-saturated and digitally distracted than ever. Sadly, the same can be said about the church. Jesus is not glorified or made attractive to the world when his followers are just as busy, burned out and stressed as the rest of society. God’s heart for each of us is that we would become experts in his rest for our lives.

To receive Jesus’ rest, we must take on his “yoke” (v. 29)—meaning to follow him, as he is “the way and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6). Following Jesus’ “way” means adopting his worldview, trusting that his teachings are “truth” and seeking to embody his ethics in “life,” even if they don’t resonate with us. Worshipful obedience to Jesus is the way of true rest. “His commands [though countercultural] are not burdensome” (1Jn 5:3). He says his burden is light (Mt 11:30), and worshipers of Jesus trust that he’s right.

Taken from the NIV Upside-Down Kingdom Bible.