Today’s Scripture Passage:
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
Today is our last look at Matthew 11:28-30, and our focus is on the yoke.
Quick Review…
Two weeks ago: Belonging to Jesus. He purchased us with His life, death, burial, and resurrection. (For more about belonging to Jesus, check out the link in green at the bottom of this post.)
Last week: Learning to Trust Jesus. Jesus teaches us to trust Him by being present, providing for our needs, and protecting us from harm. Trust in Jesus frees us from anxiety and fear.
Today: Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
An animal begins wearing yokes long before being required to do any work.
In the beginning, the animal only wears the yoke while learning to trust the farmer and his ways. The animal does no work.
People often measure their value by their accomplishments.
Belonging to Jesus and learning to follow His lead is not about accomplishments; it’s about relationship.
One animal will wear many different yokes during his lifetime.
Yokes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and weights. Yokes change as the animal grows and matures. Some yokes are single and some are double. Some are used in multiples of two and create a team. These pairings are chosen specifically for the work the farmer has for each animal to do.
People tend to struggle with change.
Jesus makes sure each yoke is individually fitted to us and the work He’s preparing us to do.
Change shows us Jesus is trustworthy, and our relationship with Him matures. We see Jesus using change to prepare us for what’s next.
A yoke, no matter how well fitted, will create pain for the animal who resists the leading of the farmer.
The same is true in our relationship with Jesus.
Resisting His yoke and His way for us invites pain and hardship to become our companions.
We’re choosing a yoke hard to bear when we refuse to wear the yoke Jesus has for us.
We’re heaping heavy burdens on top of what He’s created us to do when we seek validation of our value in works.
We’re exchanging His rest for the illusion of control.
Wait! Let’s save control for next week.
Between Now and Then…
1 Take time to just enjoy belonging to Jesus and being loved by Him.
2 Write a thank you note to Jesus.
3 Sing a song of praise to Jesus…or two or three or more.
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Fun Facts:
This is one of the many great sites I found while researching “My yoke.” I didn’t even know there were living history farms, but I’m so glad there are! Training New Oxen (lhf.org)