Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Last month I issued our congregation an invitation to seek the Savior during this season. We are privileged to call upon the name of the Lord! Here I issue that invitation again! We have been through a trying time in this past year. The Lord reminds us that times of trial for God's people are to draw us to him in faith, to cause us to rely more upon him. We also learn to rely upon him more as we hear his word. In the promises of the gospel our Lord reaches out to us to strengthen our faith.
And so this is not just another pastor’s invitation, it is also the Lord’s invitation to call upon him, to worship our God! This verse from Matthew is one of my favorites. I pray it weekly just before I vest in my stole before service. Here Jesus invites us to come to him, weary as we are and to find rest for our souls in his presence and promise! We rest in him there as we trust in our God and respond in faith to his word that supplies to us saving and strengthening grace.
Thanks be to God that most of us have been meeting for the majority of this past year for services together. We have endeavored to act carefully and prayerfully together and still do. It has been encouraging to see a bit of an increase in our attendance of late. Still some will remain at home for now. So, in this time, as you are away, I encourage you to pray, to seek the Lord and remember his presence for his people, with us always till the end of the age! I also encourage you that as things seem to be moving in a better direction, and as people are feeling safer to consider the Lord’s invitation to come and rest in him together with fellow members of our family of faith! Together or apart let us continue to pray for safety and seek our Savior in these times. For, he is with us always! As his people we are privileged to be served by our Savior with his saving and strengthening word!
The Lord be with us all!