What to Do When You’re Exhausted

Our rest is found in Jesus.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

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 New Living Translation

This picture, of what I believe to be some variety of an African Swallowtail butterfly, was taken at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado. This was my first trip to the pavilion and I wasn’t disappointed. Butterflies are constantly swirling past you, sometimes looking like their gunning for your nose and sometimes landing in your hair.

Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster, Colorado

Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster, Colorado

The variety of butterflies is astounding. Some are large others small. Some are blue and others black. Some fly in pairs and others by themselves. This great variety of butterflies is always in motion.

However, this butterfly needed a break from all that activity.

We see in humanity what is reflected by these butterflies. Humans come in all sizes, colors and personalities. Yet, even with this variety we all flit about here and there looking like we don’t know what we’re doing. And sometimes that’s an apt description of our lives. We don’t know what we’re doing.

We also need a break.

Jesus offers us his rest everyday. He has placed his yoke of mercy and grace on our shoulders. We are his. We rest in him. We are restored.

It wasn’t long and this butterfly flew off to join the mass of butterflies painting the sky. It isn’t long after we rest in Christ that we once again join the rest of God’s redeemed painting the world with his grace.

Text and Picture Copyright Douglas P Brauner

About Douglas Brauner

I'm a retired pastor, blogger, and photographer. (Oh, and did I mention husband and father?) I encourage people who wrestle with life to focus on Christ so that they experience hope and joy on life's treadmill.