| Have you ever bought a new pair of shoes or hiking boots, (or perhaps high heels for you ladies) and wore them right away for too long without breaking them in? Your feet get sore and it is a burden to even think about putting them on again? Changes in relationships, jobs, ministries, or moving into new stages of our lives can leave us feeling the same way. We may jump into things too quickly and feel the pains. For today's verse we go back to the book of Matthew to one of the most famous/popular verses in that gospel. Matthew 11: 28 Then Jesus said, or from the NKJV 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
When your weak or weary or discoraged or even "all of the above" these verses offer hope, comfort, and peace to those who will come to Him.
I've read these verse dozens if not a hundred times, but I never thought about it much in relation to prayer as I did after spending so many of these last several days considering different aspects of prayer.
Today I'd like to focus on what the NLT says " my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."
I remember hearing Chuck Swindoll speak on these verses where he described the "easy yoke". The yoke is a harness to be put on farm animals to help them in pulling carts, plows, or other equipment. Yokes, especially, mass produced ones, would dig into the animal, hurt them and affect their performace. The "easy yoke" was one that was custom made, custom fitted to the animal(s) so that it wouldn't chaffe or hurt the animal. It made doing their job easier, especially when the animal was hooked up to another with experience, and they pulled in the same direction.
Jesus knows our situation. He custom fits our yoke for us. (Sometimes it may feel like we are doing the forming like in the new shoes mentioned above), but either way, for those who are His and come to His calling, the burden will be light, we are hitched up with Him, He knows the best path, the best furrow to follow.
Swindoll writes, " Here we find the connection between obedience and rest. Christ's yoke turns out to be light—obeying Him is not a heavy load. Why? Because when we really know Him, we will follow Him gladly. Christ invites us to enter into a loving relationship with Him, thus bypassing the stress that comes from perfectionism and false guilt. Relief from stress is not automatic—it requires coordinating the demands of your body, mind, and spirit. May our God be allowed entrance into your mind and be given the reins of your life so completely that your stress is replaced with peace and faith. " Do you suffer from stress that stems from "perfectionism or false guilt as Chuck mention in area(s) of our lives? Why not give up the reins and follow His leading? In Christ, Mike Jesus Gives True Rest25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." |
No comments:
Post a Comment