REST

I used to LOVE roller coasters! The wilder the ride, the more I enjoyed it! Of course, this was way back in ancient times, when dinosaurs roamed the plant (Yes, I'm THAT old! If you don't believe it, ask my students!)! Strange how things change. Simply lifting a cup now is enough to make me nauseous!
When I was 16, my parents took me to the United States for the first time. My dad, being a country western addict, made Nashville one of his stops, and one of our Nashville afternoons found us at Opry Land. This is where I discovered what I, for years to come, would call the "King of the rides". I rode it over and over again. After all, anything was better than joining my parents at a catatonic country western concert! (Please don't misunderstand me; I do like "real" country western!)
The ride was simple enough: You entered a huge, circular room and were told to stand up against the wall. There were no restraints provided, just the way I liked it. Then the room would start to spin, and the speed would increase until you found yourself, through the force of gravity, "glued" to the wall. Once you were "trapped", the floor would move out from under you, leaving you swirling around at amazing speeds, stuck to the wall with nothing under your feet.
Quite naturally, I wanted to share this wonderful ride with someone, and since the only people I knew in the park were my parents, my poor dad became my victim: "Come on, Papa! You'll love it, you'll see! It's unbelievable!"
He was very hesitant at first, but probably because he didn't want to hurt my feelings, he agreed. As soon as the ride started however, his face turned white. As the speed increased, his entire body became so glued to the wall that I couldn't understand his cry for help: "Get me off this roller coaster!"
I, on the other hand, was ecstatic. I was having the time of my life, AND I was sharing it with my dad. In fact, I didn't realize there was a problem until the ride was over. Only as I watched my dad crumble to the floor did I realize that sharing my fun had caused him a great deal of stress! As I helped him up, it became apparent that I would need to be his human walking cane for . . . For the next hour, at least! Suddenly I wished I hadn't invited him into this nightmare!
Isn't life often as frantic as wild rides and roller coaster? People run back and forth without stopping; they have work deadlines, chores to perform, kids to taxi around, repairs to be taken care off, illness to be dealt with, finances to address… This kind of a hectic life can leave you feeling as dizzy as that ride at Opry Land! If you aren't careful, you will soon feel like you are stuck in the rut of those walls as the floor drops away from your feet!

Here's some statistics: Did you know that 86 percent of Americans claim to be chronically stressed out? According to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly one million people a year lose their lives to diseases caused by unmanaged stress. "Help"
I have discovered that according to statistics, I should be almost 85 years old (I am not that far from that age, but I am also not that close! I am barely 47 years old-or is it 57?)
Where did this statistical age come from? According to U.S. News & World Report, men change jobs every 7.6 years. I was 24 years old when I graduated, and since then, I've changed jobs eight different times. Add it all up, and I should be 84.8 years old!
What about how many times I've moved? Atlantic Monthly reports that the average American will occupy 12 to 13 residences in a life time. I have lived in 15 different places. Hum. When you put it all together, I AM about ready to croak!
Wow! Even the statistics are stressful! Where have I lost all those years that these statistics say I should have lived? Is it possible I have Alzheimer's?

In our fast-paced world, we're all trying to bear the maximum load possible. On the job, at home, and in the community, our time is in constant demand. Add this to the fact that our cell phones and email make us available 24/7, and we may begin to feel ourselves tighten like a coil ready to spring.

Something is missing in our lives, yet we don't know what. Could it be sleep? According to the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, we're a sleep-deprived generation. At least half of Americans are not catching enough winks every night. We tell ourselves we can do just fine on less than the recommended eight hours. But, skimping on sleep can lead to major health problems.

Recent studies show that hypertension, heart disease, and even obesity have all been linked to a lack of rest. "Our brains are very active during sleep, and research has shown that adequate sleep is important to our overall health, safety, and performance," says Michael Twery, PhD, acting director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research. In the new handbook, "Your Guide to Healthy Sleep," Twery explains, "Like good nutrition and physical activity, adequate sleep is critical for continued good health."

Although it may seem counterproductive to put our to-do lists aside and catch some serious Z's, our bodies were wired by a Creator who also found time to rest. God's Word reminds us, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work" (Genesis 2: 2). And Jesus reaches out to us even further when He beckons us, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Allowing yourself time to rest is not only good for your physical body, it's also good for your soul. When you wake up refreshed from a full night's sleep, you'll be more prepared to begin the day with prayer and a positive attitude. God wants you to be the best you can be. So go ahead—turn out the lights early—and give yourself permission to slumber.

There's a story told about Pope John XXIII. A member of the curia was continually nagging him to fix this problem or that problem. The official lived as though he alone saw the severity of the problems facing the world and the church, and as if without his warnings the world would collapse. Finally the Pope had had enough, so he took his hyperconscientious advisor aside and confessed that he too was sometimes tempted to live as though the fate of the world rested on him. He was helped, he said, by an angel who would sometimes appear by the side of his bed and say, "Hey there, Johnny boy, don't take yourself so seriously."

One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had.

"I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did."

"But you didn't notice," said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest."

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”

Philip Melancthon, the great Reformation theologian, once said to his friend Martin Luther, “This day you and I will discuss the governance of the universe.” What Luther said in response was unexpected: “This day you and I will go fishing and leave the governance of the universe to God.”

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life. The winter he was 9, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no- nonsense uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then young Frank's tracks meandering all over the field.

"Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again," his uncle said. "And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that."

Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how this experience had greatly contributed to his philosophy in life. "I determined right then," he'd say with a twinkle in his eye, "not to miss most things in life, as my uncle had."

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Psalm 23:3

According to a survey conducted by an insurance company, one of every six workers in the US feels too busy to take all the vacation days he or she has earned. Even though studies show that a week's holiday each year can dramatically reduce stress and the risk of heart attack, many people just keep working.

A vacation can be good for body and soul. But many people don't have the luxury of time away from work and daily responsibilities. What can we do when we must remain in demanding circumstances?

Psalm 23 paints a beautiful word picture of a caring shepherd, secure sheep, and a tranquil scene of quiet meadows and still waters. But it is the Lord, our shepherd, who gives rest, not the green grass or the flowing stream. "He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (v.3).

Rest is a place of peace that our spirits find in God. Neither the presence of those who oppose us nor the dark valley of death can keep us from what hymnwriter Cleland McAfee called "a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God." Through prayer and meditation on His Word, we can commune with Him. In the Lord's presence we can experience the rest and renewal we so desperately need. David C. McCasland

There is a place of comfort sweet,
Near to the heart of God,
A place where we our Savior meet,
Near to the heart of God. —McAfee

38Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. 40But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." 41But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

We live in a world driven by the desire for power, applause, and popularity. We cram as much as we can into a single 24-hour period in order to be as productive as possible. Influenced by this mentality and consumed with the drive for success, we often forget how to let God work in our lives.

Luke 10:38-42 tells the story of Mary and Martha. Martha is distracted with dinner preparations while Mary is at the feet of Jesus. Martha is worried about having the meal perfect for her guest, while Mary is content to set aside the preparations in order to spend time with Jesus.

How many times have we been like Martha and so busied ourselves with being productive that we failed to prepare our hearts to be in Christ's presence? While the world says, "Go! Accomplish! Succeed!" Jesus says, "Come and rest; listen to me." When, like Mary, we learn to be still in the presence of the Lord, God, "by the power at work within us," comes and empowers us to "accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to find our meaning in you and not in what we accomplish. Help us to rest in you. Amen.

According to tradition, when the apostle John was overseer in Ephesus, his hobby was raising pigeons. It is said that on one occasion another elder passed his house as he returned from hunting and saw John playing with one of his birds. The man gently chided him for spending his time so frivolously.

John looked at the hunter's bow and remarked that the string was loose. "Yes," said the elder, "I always loosen the string of my bow when it's not in use. If it stayed tight, it would lose its resilience and fail me in the hunt."

John responded, "And I am now relaxing the bow of my mind so that I may be better able to shoot the arrows of divine truth."

We cannot do our best work with nerves taut or frayed from constant pressure. When Jesus' disciples returned from a strenuous preaching mission, their Master recognized their need for rest and invited them to come with Him to a quiet place where they could be refreshed (Mark 6:31).

Hobbies, vacations, and wholesome recreation are vital to a well-balanced, godly life. We lose our effectiveness by keeping our lives so tightly strung that we are always tense. If it seems we can't relax, Jesus may be inviting us to take a break—to "come aside . . . and rest a while." De Hann

If our body, soul, and spirit
Are to function at their best,
Time is needed for renewal,
Time for leisure, time for rest. —D. De Haan

He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." Mark 6:31

God writes the music for our lives. Our role is to follow His lead—humming, harmonizing, blending, and singing in tune.

Serving the Lord, like singing, can be stirring and rewarding. But when we are set aside by illness, or replacement, or retirement, the interludes can be frustrating and unfulfilling. When God says to us, "Come . . . rest a while" (Mark 6:31), we may not want to stop. It seems that our performance is over, that we've come to the end of our song.

If we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with our inactivity, it will cause us to focus on our defects and our circumstances. But we need to remind ourselves that the Lord may be using our time of rest to make our music better.

The Great Conductor is counting time with precision. There is more to the arrangement than we know. If we keep our eyes on Him, in time He'll enable us to chime in again.

In the meantime we can enjoy the rest. The quiet times are opportunities to quiet our souls and compose ourselves for the measures that lie ahead. The rest is not a mistake, nor an omission, but a necessary part of the symphony God wrote in the beginning and is conducting for us every day.

Be silent unto God, my soul,
If this the score He writes for thee,
And "hold the rest"; play no false note
To mar His perfect harmony. —Flint
© 1944 Evangelical Publishers

There's no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it. In our whole life-melody the music is broken off here and there by 'rests,' and we foolishly think we have come to the end of the tune...not without design does God write the music of our lives. Be it ours to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the 'rests.' They are not to be slurred over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change the keynote. If we sadly say to ourselves, 'There is no music in a rest,' let us not forget that there is the making of music in it.

"Carry some quiet around inside thee," the well-known Quaker, George Fox, used to say. "Be still and cool in thy own mind and spirit, from thy own thoughts, and then thou wilt feel the principle of God to turn thy mind to the Lord from whence cometh life; whereby thou mayest receive the strength and power to allay all storms and tempests."

Time magazine noted that back in the 60’s, expert testimony was given to a Senate sub-committee on time management. They predicted that advances in technology would radically change how many hours a week people worked. They forecasted that the average American would be working 22 hours a week within 20 years. “The great challenge,” the experts said, “would be figuring out what to do with all the excess time.” Over 40 years later, after major advances in technology – how many of us are wondering what to do with all the excess time on our hands?
Our world has become the world of the Red Queen of Alice and Wonderland: “Now here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that.”
How many of us feel like that? Let’s take a group quiz to see how many of us are being dragged through life. Fill in the blanks:
I’m ready to throw in the…
I’m at the end of my…
I’m just a bundle of…
My life is falling…
I’m at my wit’s…
I feel like resigning from the human…
Apparently we’re all experiencing the rat race. Just when you thought you were getting ahead, along come faster rats. But remember, he who wins the rat race is still a rat.
We need to learn how to experience rest. If all we needed was physical rest we can always take a nap. If we needed only emotional rest, we can always take a vacation. But where can we find spiritual rest? How can we obtain relief regarding the deepest issues of life at the deepest level of our hearts.
The more things change the more they stay the same.

You have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.

When North America's early settlers cleared their land for farming, they often left a tree in the center of a field. They called it a "resting tree." It gave them and their livestock a place to rest, and it provided some shade from the summer sun when they worked in the field.

Christ can be our "resting tree." When we are weak and tired from the load of life's burdens, Christ will carry them and let us rest. He will help us to find solutions for our problems and hope instead of our fears.

We find rest for our souls -- a refuge and a shelter -- when we clear a space for Christ in our lives. In the Gospel of Matthew, he offers us both an invitation and a promise: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29).

I will experience rest for my soul as I obey Jesus’ command of…
COME TO ME “Come…all…and I will give…”
Jesus regularly invited people to come to Him to meet their needs.
NOTICE: What Jesus did NOT say, “Come to church to find rest”
Christianity begins with meeting Christ personally.
Going to McDonalds does not make you a hamburger. Going into a garage doesn’t make you a car. Going to church does not make you a Christian (you must meet Christ personally).
Gathering information about Jesus does not make you a Christian. Joining a group does not make you a Christian. Having Christian parents doesn’t make you a Christian.
You become a Christian through a moment of time choice to answer His invitation to turn from your own ways and come to Him. You will find that He’s been waiting for you all along. Have you done that? Can you look to a time when you decided to answer His call to come
You say, “but my life is really a mess, I don’t think I am ready to come." HIS INVITATION: Come one, come all, come as you are!

TAKE MY YOKE (upon you)
YOKE: “a type of harness that connects a pair of oxen.”
A pair of connected oxen was typically called a yoke of oxen.
Used metaphorically to refer to submission to a teacher
In NT times the phrase, “to take the yoke of” was used by rabbi’s to refer to “becoming a submitted pupil of a teacher”
Used 6x in the NT, the word has two dominant figurative ideas.
1. The yoke of rules and religion. MANS YOKE
Acts 15:7-11 spells out the yoke of following rules and religious system to be accepted by God. This is the way most people are familiar with the idea of relating to God – through rules and religion. This is not the “my yoke” that Jesus speaks of.
2. The yoke of relationship. JESUS YOKE
Jesus said that His yoke is easy “well fitted.” It fits the need.
Rules and religion don’t fit the need for personal relationship.
His yoke is easy compared to man made religious yokes.
His burden is light compared to the burden of human effort.
Jesus’ sign outside his carpenter shop, “My yokes fit well!”
JESUS SAID "MY YOKE:" Jesus commands we take up HIS yoke to find rest
There is no rest in rules and religion, but only in a personal relationship with God based on the finished work of Jesus.
Which yoke have you been under? Jesus’ or man’s? We access all that God has for us through our choices.
Yoke Pictures Three Things:
1. Connection “Be with Me.” Yokes are made for two, not one. We were not meant to go through life living apart from God. His yoke fits well and is lighter than the one we’ve been pulling by ourselves. Be connected to Jesus!
2. Direction “Follow Me.” The idea of a yoke pictures the forward motion of two connected together. You cannot be yoked to Jesus and go your own way anymore. We follow Him and His direction for our life. Follow Jesus!
3. Cooperation “Work with Me.” To be yoked together means that we cooperate with His work. Before we come to Him, we were living for this side of eternity. Now we are joined to His work and discover that our lives make an eternal impact.
We experience only when we obey: COME and TAKE His yoke.
Rest is the result of obedience! We rest in Him!

His third command is to learn from Him (are you open to learn?)
All of us are ignorant, just on different subjects
We come, take up His yoke, the process of learning begins.
There is no need to fear what Jesus might do in your life. He is gentle and humble. The more you learn that about Him, the more you will find your rest in Him.
One day a man went by to see a farmer who was plowing his field with a team of oxen. The man noticed that one of the animals was seemingly a little bigger than the other so he asked him about it. The response from the farmer was very interesting. He said that the big animal was an older animal that was well trained and the smaller one was a young animal that was new to the yoke. The man went on to inquire as to why he put them together and this is the answer that He got,
“Well you see, it’s like this. That older ox is the best ox that I have ever had; he knows his way around the field. The reason I put the younger one with him is so the older, more knowledgeable ox could teach him how to plow. If I never put them together the younger one would never learn. By himself the younger ox would pull himself to death, but together he learns to cooperate with and rest in the strength of the older ox.”
Does your life feel like the ox whose pulling himself to death. Rest comes from obedience to Jesus’ commands. COME to Me, TAKE My yoke upon you, LEARN from Me.

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=49844&ContributorID=8338
“Come to me & I will give you rest”
Rest for those who labor: (gr. Labor to the point of exhaustion, toil) SELF EFFORT
He is not speaking to the working class laborer, but to sincere, conscientious people who are trying to balance the scales of good deeds vs. bad deeds to be accepted by God. You never know how you account is balanced at any time.
Human effort falls far short of the standard God requires. The cross is the place of exchange where what I am is placed on Him and what He is, is given to me. My bad deeds are removed and placed on Him. I rest on His perfect deeds credited to my account.
Rest for those who are heavy laden: (gr. To load up, overburden) BURDENED
These stagger under the heavy weight and burden of sin.
Living for yourself, for possessions, prominence and pleasure is a burden.
Nicolas Cage: “I wonder if there is a hole in the soul of my generation. We’ve inherited the American dream, but where do we take it?”
Harrison Ford: The actor whose movies have grossed over 2 billion dollars said, “you only want what you ain’t got.” What ain’t he got? “Peace!” was his answer!
In Jesus Christ the full penalty has already been paid. You can begin life anew and have the page wiped clean. God did not send Jesus to rub our sins in, but to rub them out. He bore the guilt and paid the penalty, there is nothing left to pay. Come and rest in what Jesus has done for you.
The sense of relief of burden is real for all who’ve come to Christ. The Bible calls it “peace with God.” You can come to Him right now, by faith!

"Come to me . . . and I will give you rest," Jesus said. What a beautiful invitation this is! We are invited to come to Christ with our burdens, our frustrations, and our pains -- no matter what they are. We are offered true rest in listening to Christ, learning to walk with him, and allowing him to shape our lives. Let us take time today to simply bask in the Lord's presence and find rest.

When I read the gospels, I noticed that Jesus' life could have been very stressful as well. There were healings to be done (strangely enough, people easily become sick!), demon-possessed individuals to be freed, addictions to be broken, the afflicted to be encouraged, the Good News to be preached…
Still, Jesus always had time for anyone!
"He must have had excellent time management strategies!"
You are absolutely right! His time management strategies were out of this world! Literally! He was driven by God's Spirit and depended on God for all things!

HAVE SOMEONE READ: John 5:19-20
I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Only when we abide IN HIM will we truly experience inner peace and real rest. After all, Jesus says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Only then will we be able to say confidently: "Increase the speed of the ride if you want to. Nothing will disturb my inner peace! I have God at my side!"
You now have a choice to make: Enjoy the ride and experience God's peace in your life, or let the ride spin you faster and faster with no end in sight!
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. (John 14:6)

What will be your choice?

"I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did."

"But you didn't notice," said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest."

Leonard Da Vinci 1452-1519 Italian Inventor, Architect, Painter, Scientist, Sculptor

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Psalm 23:3

A vacation can be good for body and soul. But many people don't have the luxury of time away from work and daily responsibilities. What can we do when we must remain in demanding circumstances?

There is a place of comfort sweet,
Near to the heart of God,
A place where we our Savior meet,
Near to the heart of God.

Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to find our meaning in you and not in what we accomplish. Help us to rest in you. Amen.

John responded, "And I am now relaxing the bow of my mind so that I may be better able to shoot the arrows of divine truth."

If our body, soul, and spirit
Are to function at their best,
Time is needed for renewal,
Time for leisure, time for rest.

You have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelterfrom the rainstorm and a shade from the heat. Isaiah 25:4

He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." Mark 6:31

God writes the music for our lives. Our role is to follow His lead—humming, harmonizing, blending, and singing in tune.

The Great Conductor is counting time with precision. There is more to the arrangement than we know. If we keep our eyes on Him, in time He'll enable us to chime in again.

Be silent unto God, my soul,
If this the score He writes for thee,
And "hold the rest"; play no false note
To mar His perfect harmony. —Flint

His third command is to learn from Him (are you open to learn?)All of us are ignorant, just on different subjects We come, take up His yoke, the process of learning begins.
There is no need to fear what Jesus might do in your life. He is gentle and humble. The more you learn that about Him, the more you will find your rest in Him.
One day a man went by to see a farmer who was plowing his field with a team of oxen. The man noticed that one of the animals was seemingly a little bigger than the other so he asked him about it. The response from the farmer was very interesting. He said that the big animal was an older animal that was well trained and the smaller one was a young animal that was new to the yoke. The man went on to inquire as to why he put them together and this is the answer that He got,
“Well you see, it’s like this. That older ox is the best ox that I have ever had; he knows his way around the field. The reason I put the younger one with him is so the older, more knowledgeable ox could teach him how to plow. If I never put them together the younger one would never learn. By himself the younger ox would pull himself to death, but together he learns to cooperate with and rest in the strength of the older ox.”
Does your life feel like the ox whose pulling himself to death. Rest comes from obedience to Jesus’ commands. COME to Me, TAKE My yoke upon you, LEARN from Me.

“Come to me & I will give you rest”
Rest for those who labor: (gr. Labor to the point of exhaustion, toil) SELF EFFORT
He is not speaking to the working class laborer, but to sincere, conscientious people who are trying to balance the scales of good deeds vs. bad deeds to be accepted by God. You never know how you account is balanced at any time.
Human effort falls far short of the standard God requires. The cross is the place of exchange where what I am is placed on Him and what He is, is given to me. My bad deeds are removed and placed on Him. I rest on His perfect deeds credited to my account.
Rest for those who are heavy laden: (gr. To load up, overburden) BURDENED
These stagger under the heavy weight and burden of sin.
Living for yourself, for possessions, prominence and pleasure is a burden.
Nicolas Cage: “I wonder if there is a hole in the soul of my generation. We’ve inherited the American dream, but where do we take it?”
Harrison Ford: The actor whose movies have grossed over 2 billion dollars said, “you only want what you ain’t got.” What ain’t he got? “Peace!” was his answer!
In Jesus Christ the full penalty has already been paid. You can begin life anew and have the page wiped clean. God did not send Jesus to rub our sins in, but to rub them out. He bore the guilt and paid the penalty, there is nothing left to pay. Come and rest in what Jesus has done for you.
The sense of relief of burden is real for all who’ve come to Christ. The Bible calls it “peace with God.” You can come to Him right now, by faith!