This morning I had the words to the song, “All Who Are Thirsty” come before me.
All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As deep cries out to deep (we sing)
Come Lord Jesus come
For you who are weary, let these words flow like a stream of refreshing water over your soul.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”” Matthew 11:28-30
I see the Lord extending his hand to you— to lift you up and to carry your burdens. Remember, that in your weariness and in your weakness, he becomes your strength— and your song. He does not condemn you or chastise you because of your weakness but he lifts you up and embraces you.
A few years back our family had a visitor in our home who met our daughter who had been going through years of infertility— she was so weary. He sat down with her and proceeded to tell her about his experiences with surfing and how it required rest. He said that when he first began surfing he’d take the long, hard paddle out to where the waves are good and he’d catch the first good wave but often not have the strength to ride it. He said that he had to learn to rest after the exhausting paddle into the deeper waters because if he tried to catch a wave while weary from the long paddle out, then the wave would end up taking him under. But, if he’d take the time to rest after the paddle (even allowing some potentially good waves to pass by) then when it was time to catch a wave he would be able to ride it all the way back to shore with ease. He said, “Another wave is always coming so it is okay to strengthen yourself and rest.” As he spoke these words a vibrant double rainbow appeared over our home and remained present for a long time. As I looked upon this rainbow and thought about the rest he was speaking of, I heard the Lord say,
I promise not to overwhelm you or flood you with that which will take you under. Rest in me and ride the waves of mercy that I have ordained for you. They will carry you to my shores of grace and victory.”
Many of you have had a long journey of paddling hard against the current. Your strength is depleted and you need to take a moment to rest. You are now positioned to catch the wave that will take you higher and further than you have ever known but first, you must have your strength renewed. You are being invited into Matthew 11,
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
He will take the burdens from you and he will teach you to enter into his rest and to come to him where his gentleness will comfort your weary and storm-tossed soul. It is there that you will receive the light yoke that will allow you to ride the wave of mercy that you are about to catch.
This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty Zechariah 4:6
Rest and wait. The wave that lifts you up and brings you to your next destination will come soon— you can’t ride this wave with burdens in your arms or on your back. He is freeing you from carrying those burdens— he is not only lifting you up but lifting the burdens from you.
Pray this, “Lord Jesus, I receive your hand of help to lift me up and your invitation to carry my burdens. They are too heavy for me and I am weary. I receive the help of your Spirit that lives within me to be my strength and to put a new song in my heart. Wash away the pain in your streams that bring me to life again. I receive the waves of your mercy to carry me as I put my trust in you. Come Lord Jesus— be my resurrection, my strength, and my deliverer.”
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As deep cries out to deep
Come Lord Jesus come”
He is renewing your strength as you rest in him and wait upon him.
Purchase Kathi’s book Joy here.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Inscribe Ministries
Featured Image by Silas Baisch on Unsplash
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