Matthew 11:28
"Come to
me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
(NIV)
It was spring in the upper end of the County, and
hundreds of people were gathered in our small town for the annual Relay For Life
event. Food, vendors, entertainment, but most of all a festivity celebrating
money raised to help discover a cure for cancer.
Relay began in 1985 when a colorectal surgeon-Dr.
Gordy Klatt, walked and ran around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the
American Cancer Society. The cure for all forms of cancer still eludes us, and
people die daily from the ravages of the disease, but Relay has multiplied
exponentially.
Visit a pharmacy and witness our attempt to cure a
single ill-the headache. We have now specialized by offering different pills for
various types of headaches. Is it related to stress, lack of sleep, allergies or
congestion? We have the pill. But headaches return.
And what pharmacy could keep a pill stocked that
proposed to cure personal, physical, emotional and spiritual ills with one
swallow? On the Andy Griffith episode, Aunt Bee's Medicine Man, Colonel Harvey
proposed to possess such a cure with his "Indian Elixir." To Aunt Bee and
everyone else's chagrin, it was 85 percent hooch. But it momentarily placated
the symptoms.
Jesus' cure for what ails and weighs us down? Come to
him for rest. And the four gospels are replete with instances when he did just
that. Healed the sick. Comforted the societal outcasts. Confronted those with
misguided priorities. Lifted burdens added by the religious establishment. At
the same time, his challenges were well, challenging.
We're fond of searching for quick fixes for our
physical, emotional and spiritual pains. A pill from a doctor, a trip to the
counselor and a visit to the local church. All appropriate measures within a
proper context. But Jesus invites us to come to him. To cry out and be honest
about everything and everyone that's bothering us. He understands the pain and
hurt and will give you rest, peace and insight. He's the cure all. All other
proponents are shadows at best.
When you're tempted to look to other sources for
comfort and cures, remember Jesus has promised to provide peace and comfort.
Martin Wiles mandmwiles@homesc.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.