This post is based on the book “The Pursuit of God” by A. W. Tozer.

“Come unto me, all ye that labor 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

What is meekness? A common assumption is that being meek is unable to help ourselves. But Jesus says, “I AM MEEK”…Even though He had all the infinite resources of God at His command…He was NOT occupied with self at all. A meek man states: “Of myself I can do nothing I do only those things that please the Father.”

• Most assuredly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do, the Son does in like manner.
• I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge… I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
• The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him and He who sent Me is with Me.

The “burden” Jesus is talking about is not one of being tired, or under stress, it is an interior burden of the soul. These are evils which make life the bitter struggle that it is for us. All our heartaches and a great many of our physical ills spring directly out of the sins of our hearts.

Pride, Arrogance, Resentfulness, Greed, Control Issues, Evil Imaginings of our Mind, People Pleasing.

These are the source of more human pain than all the diseases that ever afflicted our moral flesh.According to Jesus these inner burdens can be met and released within the power of His meekness. Within four pages, Tozer makes six specific statements about Meekness equaling Rest.

His own meekness, which is the rest.

• Rest is simply a release from the burden

Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is His method for finding that rest.

• Burdens are continually challenging words spoken against us, cringing under every criticism, smarting under each fancied slight.

In meekness man will be happy to let God defend him.

• Meek man does not care at all who is greater than he is, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort.

The meek man has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his life. He knows he is weak and helpless, He knows that in himself he is nothing, but in God, he finds everything.

He has found the peace which meekness brings.

• He has attained a place of soul rest, and is happy to let God defend him. The old struggle to defend himself is over. He has found the peace which meekness brings.

There is no release from our burden apart from the meekness of Christ.

• If we surrender ourselves to His meekness, then we will not care what people think of us so long as God is pleased.

The rest that He offers is the rest of MEEKNESS.

• Blessed relief which comes when we accept ourselves for what we are and cease to pretend.

Jesus says, “You will find rest for your souls.”

“Lord, make me childlike. Deliver me from the urge to compete with another for place or prestige or position. I would be simple and artless as a little child. Deliver me from pose and pretense. Forgive me for thinking of myself. Help me to forget myself and find my true peace in beholding You, that you may answer this prayer. I humble myself before you. Lay upon me Your easy yoke of self-forgetfulness and through it I may find rest. Amen.”

Categories: Judy Marshall The Pursuit of God

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