Forevermore

Opening Prayer

Loving God,

You are the God of rest and hope. We come before you as weary people – weary from the weight of all that the world lays on our shoulders. Give us your peace, that we might walk in your path. 

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday: Psalm 38

Tuesday: Hebrews 12:1-3

Wednesday: Psalm 68:19-20

Thursday: Psalm 81: 1-10

Friday: Matthew 6:25-34

Saturday: John 17:14-16

Reading

Matthew 11

This Gospel is one of my favorite Scripture passages.  In this reading Jesus invites all who are weary and burdened to come to Him.  Jesus promises that if we come to Him, He will give us rest.  And the rest He gives will renew and restore us.  

Ask yourself: What in your life wearies you?  What wears you down or exhausts you?  From what do you need rest?  It might be worry about your loved ones, health concerns, financial concerns, feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities or perhaps feeling alone.  I assume that many of us are weary to some degree.  What do we do at these times?  How do we handle the weariness?  Do we carry our burdens alone?  Or do we take our burdens, anxiety and weariness to Jesus and ask Him for the grace and rest that we need?  

It would be wonderful if simply taking our worries and weariness to Jesus immediately and magically made everything right again.  However, we know from experience that this typically doesn’t happen.  Our concerns or worries may still be with us.  However, if we bring them to Jesus, He will grace us with the strength we need to keep going and also to keep hoping.  The question may be: do we truly trust Jesus?  

Today, ask yourself: what concerns, worries or anxieties are on my mind today?  Then I invite you to sit quietly with Jesus for a few minutes.  Just simply “be” with Him.  You don’t need to say anything since Jesus already knows what you are thinking and feeling.  Place your anxieties, fears or worries in His hands.  Simply spending time with Him will give you rest and it also lighten your burden.  Trust Him!  Jesus is waiting for you!

• Adapted from Sister Kristine Anne Harpenau