Sometimes the first words read or sung for the day make all the difference.

“Come unto Me, Ye Weary, and I will give you rest.” So begins the first hymn of invitation in the Lutheran Hymnal. In it, Jesus’ voice is described as blessed, loving and cheering and his love is patient. The hymn that follows, I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say, shares in three simple verses what His invitation is to us.

“Come onto Me and rest; lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon my breast.”  How often, as children, did we find comfort in our parents’ arms, our heads resting against our provider, protector, remover of fears and find comfort? How often, when we were smaller still, were we able to fall asleep to the comforting rhythm of a parent’s beating heart?

Going back to the first hymn mentioned, the first verse ends as follows: “It tells of benediction, of pardon, grace and peace, of joy that hath no ending, of love which cannot cease.” It is an important message to remember in good times and bad. The second and third verse are equally important in terms of remember that we are no longer lost and that Jesus comes to aid our strife.

In the Light of Life, it’s good to walk, until traveling days are done.