Read Matt. 11:28-30; Ps. 63

There are many signs when our bodies are tired and in need of rest. Fatigue, weakness, lack of concentration, and even sickness are some of the signs that we’ve pushed our bodies too far, and these can be signs that our bodies are telling us, “slow down; you need rest.” Even the human body understands that it needs rest, and that it suffers without rest.

Yet, what about our souls? What are some signs that our souls might be in need of rest? Could it be that all the discontentment, discouragement, anxiety, incessant stress, and insecurities many of us feel are signs that our souls might actually be tired and in need of rest? Perhaps all the ways we feel like our lives, our relationships, our work don’t satisfy us no matter how much we want them to—could this be the sign of our souls saying to us, “I need rest; when will it come”? The reality is that no amount of money, no relationship, no external change of circumstances can fully address the problem of your soul needing a kind of rest that the things/people in this world aren’t capable of providing.

But Jesus offers rest for the weary soul. Jesus understands that our souls will always feel lost in this world, and will always go chasing after the wrong things. And to those who are tired of chasing the wrong things, he offers rest through a relationship with him. It’s when we know and love him—the one whom our souls were made to know and love—we actually find the peace and rest our souls desperately need. Spend some time in prayer considering this question: what are you chasing after, and what do you need to give up in your life so you can start finding true rest in Jesus?