A while back, we were traveling to one of our Night of Hope events, and we had to take a connecting flight in order to reach our destination. When we arrived at the airport between flights, we didn’t have much time. As you may have experienced, there are few places on earth with the potential to be more stressful than a major airport. We were running through the airport, dragging our carry-on luggage, trying to keep a smile on our faces, and hoping we were going to make the flight. When we reached our gate, there was a huge crowd of people. Lo and behold, our plane had been delayed.

I was so relieved that I just leaned against the wall, took a deep breath, and let my bags fall to the floor. As soon as I did, Matthew 11:28 came to mind. It was like Jesus was saying, “Come to Me and put your bags down. Let them go and exhale!” He gives the same invitation to all of us today! “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV)

Know today that God wants you to come to Him. He wants you to come with your problems; come with your cares; come with your worries and concerns. Let Him take your heaviness and give you His peace. Let Him show you His gentleness and love. He wants to refresh you right now and give you rest for your soul.

If you are carrying a heavy load today, set it down. Lift your hands to the Father and release your cares to Him. Let Him renew you with His love and wash over you with singing. Know that He cares for you, and He cares about you. He is ready to lighten your load, so put down your bags and rest today!