Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. —Matthew 11:28-29
What is it about approaching Jesus that makes it to seem so insurmountable, unattainable, undoable, and Him so unreachable? Did His word not tell us in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”?
Have you ever gone back roading, off-roading, or hill climbing? One of the selling factors of any off-road vehicle is the approach angle. This angle is measured by how close the front tire is to the front of the vehicle and how high the bumper is from the ground. The other contributing factor is the location of the rear tire from the rear of the vehicle and the height of the rear bumper, which not only affects the approach but departure too. Every vehicle has these two angles, whether an off-road beast or a luxurious limo.
No matter the condition or position, be a person rich, poor, parishioner, pastor, business owner, or laborer, we all battle coming to Jesus at times. It is our approach angle keeping us from boldly coming to Him. The two things grounding us, keeping us from going forward and climbing higher in Christ are our future and/or our past. The reason so many fail, fall, commit suicide, throw in the towel, turn around, divert, and abort the mission is because we feel like we cannot handle the approach. Can I ask you to please read again? Jesus simply said, “COME.”
Our prayer for you this week: May you come to understand no matter what is in front of you or behind, Jesus is approachable. Just come to Him.
