“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28-30
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Who doesn’t like an invitation? It makes you feel wanted, included, special and favorably considered in the thoughts of others. An invite to a wedding, a ballgame, a party, a meal at a nice restaurant, or a golf tee time at someone’s golf club are usually welcomed and joyfully accepted.
So much more meaningful is an invitation to salvation and the escape of God’s judgment of sin! That is exactly the invitation God made to Noah and his family in Genesis 6:18: “… you will enter the ark — you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.” All other invitations given by God on the pages of Scripture find their foundation in God extending an invitation to escape the penalty and results of sin.
One might expect a holy God to distance Himself from or just destroy the human race that rebelled from Him. Yet, God’s attitude and desire for reconciliation are described with the invitation offered in Isaiah 1:18: “‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'”
Take a moment and read Matthew 11:28-30. Thank Jesus for the spiritual rest He invites you to enjoy. If you’ve accepted Jesus’ invitation of a relationship with Him, invite others to join you (Revelation 19:6-10).
— Brian Hommel, Arizona Diamondbacks chaplain
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