(The following is the January 12 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Matthew 11​ and pay close attention to verses 28-30.)

Humans have limits. We have physical limitations to our strength and endurance. We have 24 hours in a day, and we must sleep about a third of them to give our bodies the rest needed for the day’s effort. Failure to do so seriously impacts our ability to perform well. We also have spiritual limits. We are not the source of our spiritual strength; God is. The presence and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit strengthen us. As believers who know and love Christ, his Word, and his church, we find rejuvenating strength in his presence, written truth, and fellow believers. We can’t lift ourselves spiritually by our bootstraps. Instead, we must continually fall at Jesus’ feet, acknowledge our weaknesses and allow him to replenish us.

Many believers have testimonies of reaching a point on their journey to Christ where they were at rock bottom. They had more concerns than they knew how to bear. They were navigating life’s treacherous waters in a rickety, leaky boat with nowhere to turn and no one to rescue them from their miserable condition. But then they met Christ. They admitted their inability to captain a sinking ship. They were lost sinners in need of forgiveness. By placing their trust in Christ and surrendering to his lordship, they found rest for their weary souls.

Following Christ doesn’t always seem easy and light, as verse 30 describes. However, compared to carrying the burden of our sin and navigating life without Christ, being yoked together with Christ is the only way we will make it through to the other side.

Come to him and learn from him. Find rest for your weary soul.

Next Step:
What burdens weigh heavily on you? Have you turned them over to Christ, or are you trying to carry them yourself? Lay them at Jesus’ feet in honest prayer. Continue to place them there whenever you sense that you are carrying them on your own again.