Matthew 11:28  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

The gentle invitation to “come” is the cry of the Christian faith. “Go, step carefully on the path in which you walk,” sternly commanded Jewish law. “You will perish if you disobey the commandments, but you will live if you obey them.” The law compelled people to submit to it forcefully even if it was a blessing; the gospel draws people to itself with arms of love.

Jesus is the good Shepherd Who leads His sheep by walking with them, encouraging them to follow Him and beckoning them to move forward with the inviting phrase, “Come.” The gospel draws while the law repels. The gospel spans that terrible abyss and carries the sinner across it; the law reveals the gap between God and man and demands we bridge it alone.

“Come, come to me …” will be the message of Christ to you from the beginning of your spiritual life until you are welcomed fully into heaven. Like a mother beckoning her little child to walk by holding out her finger and saying, “Come,” so does Jesus.

He will constantly be in front of you, pleading with you to follow Him just as the soldier does his captain. You will hear His sweet voice beckoning you after Him throughout your entire life as He always goes before you to prepare your route and clear your path.

The wonderful words He will use to welcome you into the celestial realm at the solemn hour of death will be, “Come, you who are so blessed of my Father.”

If you are a believer, this is not merely Christ’s plea to you; it is also your cry to Christ: “Come! come!” You will be awaiting His return and pleading with Him to hurry up and arrive. You’ll long for a deeper and deeper level of intimacy with Him.

When He calls to you, “Come,” you will answer Him, “Come, Lord, and live in me … come, take possession of my heart’s throne … reign there without a challenger, and I will be fully at Your service.”

Are you prepared to hear and obey God when He calls? How can you prepare your mind and heart today?